Trade Minister Todd McClay says it is an honour to be nominated. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Trade Minister Todd McClay says he will focus on a better dispute settlement process within the World Trade Organisation, as he takes up a role for the next ministerial conference.
Ministerial conferences are the highest decision-making body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
There are three vice chair roles, with New Zealand, Cameroon and Panama nominated.
In a statement, McClay said he was honoured and it was a reflection of the country's commitment to a multilateral trading system.
"The World Trade Organisation and its rules are critical to New Zealand as a small and open economy, to ensure our exporters can operate globally with certainty.
"In particular, I will focus on a better deal for agricultural exporters, the removal of fisheries subsidies and strengthening the World Trade Organisation dispute settlement process."
Australia was a recent example of a country which took a case to the WTO over China's anti-dumping and countervailing duties on barley. It later suspended it when the two reached an agreement.
New Zealand's nomination was announced at the WTO's General Council in Geneva on 13 December.
The conference will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates capital city, Abu Dhabi, on 26-29 February.