On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:42:05 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

"Malcolm Moore" wrote in message
.. .

I have no problem with US citizens buying your products. The problem I
have
is that New Zealand doesn't reciprocate.

Ed Huntress

But sometimes we do. Have a look at

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c6141.html

it's been in our favour for the last four years, but for the eight
years before that it was in your favour. Over the last 19 years it has
been us 11, you 8, pretty close to a draw.

You may have missed Geoff's original complaint, Malcolm, and the source of
this argument. He was complaining that the US wasn't accepting more of your
sheep products -- now, not in the past.

I was merely pointing out that your concerns about us not
reciprocating were not borne out in all years.

I don't recall the thread where Geoff's complaint was raised and a
Google of Geoff's posts to rcm for the last year or so doesn't help.

In 1999 the US imposed tariffs on NZ and Aust lamb. In 99 the trade
balance was in your favour and we complained loudly then. Given you
stated

"But, either way, it drives me up a wall when someone from another
country bitches about how they're being mistreated in trade with the
US, when, in almost every such case, they're running some huge trade
surplus with us."

then of course your climbing the wall is not warranted in this case.
Those tariff's were also ruled illegal by the WTO, which is what this
thread is about.

That's in an environment in which your trade balance with the US is in an
accelerating surplus. If you annualize the 2003 YTD figure, it's over US$808
million.

The 2003 figures are interesting in that they are consistently and
steadily in our favour whereas previous years fluctuate widely and
swing +ve and -ve in different months. I wonder whether current year
results are subject to change after all the figures are in?

The relative value of our dollars at present would lead to the present
year figure being high but we have negligible control over that.
Exporters here are starting to squeal about being uncompetitive so
there will be some resulting fall in our exports to you.
If you want us to buy more of your products it is up to you to get out
and market them, there is certainly no centrally imposed restrictions
on buying American.

Regards
Malcolm

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