New Zealand Leaders Concerned US Tariffs Could Spark Trade Diversion, Dumping

While New Zealand was tariffed at 10 percent, higher rates on other countries risk the world ‘backsliding into a global trade war,’ Prime Minister Luxon said.
New Zealand Leaders Concerned US Tariffs Could Spark Trade Diversion, Dumping
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis look on prior to a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand on Nov. 27, 2024. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
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New Zealand has altered its diplomatic language on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, from relief that it escaped with a rate at the lower end—10 percent—to condemning the effect higher tariffs on other countries.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon read a prepared statement to reporters before a Cabinet meeting, in which he warned of the potential consequences of what he called a “profound shift in the global economic landscape.”

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
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Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.