New Zealand will be pushing new trade opportunities now the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is unlikely to proceed, an international relations expert says.
President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama in the Oval office at The White House. Photo: AFP
With Donald Trump's election to the US presidency, Barack Obama's administration said yesterday it was suspending its efforts to pass the signature deal.
Victoria University director of the Centre for Strategic Studies David Capie said a big part of the drawcard of TPP was the fact it included the US, which New Zealand does not already have a free trade agreement with.
"That was the huge plus for us with TPP was getting access to those really important markets.
"So any agreement that doesn't include the US, it's not something that's going to be ruled out but it's missing one of the big attractions of TPP."
Mr Trump made his opposition to the TPP a centerpiece of his campaign, calling it a "disaster" and "a rape of our country" that would send more jobs overseas.
However, there were a number of other trade deals currently under negotiation.
They included the 16-country Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which involves the likes of China, India and Japan.
New Zealand had also expressed interest in joining the Latin America-focused Pacific Alliance.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is currently in New Zealand, but with the presidential election still so fresh and priorities likely to change under Mr Trump's leadership, he was unlikely to make any sweeping offers.
Peru's president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski also raised the possibility yesterday that a TPP-like deal including Russia and China instead of the US could be an option.
Peru will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next week.