NZ’s Foreign Minister Optimistic as He Heads to Washington for Tariff Talks

Winston Peters is undeterred by the Trump administration’s refusal to exempt Australia from tariffs, saying he intends to emphasise NZ’s importance to the US.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) who are due to meet in Washington D.C. in coming days to discuss bilateral trade and security in the Indo-Pacific. Sai Aung Main/AFP via Getty Images, Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters is striking an optimistic tone as he heads to Washington to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss relations between the two countries.

President Donald Trump’s intention to introduce across-the-board import tariffs is likely to dominate the discussion.