MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New Zeland trade delagation.

A New Zeland trade delegation headed by Prime Minister Helen Clark, other government officials and representatives from the country's main industries will visit Mercosur members next November.

The initiative is the first stage of an aggressive campaign to expand Latinamerican markets mainly, Mexico and Mercosur. "It would be madness for us to leave out any economic block, we must be in Nafta, Europe, Asia and Mercosur", said Roger Goulding from the beef industry. "Although we're basically competitors with Mercosur countries, our common enemies are US and Europe's subsidies and we have to work together to put an end to them", underlined Gerry Williams from Pacific Basin Exports .New Zeland has high hopes that the coming World Trade Organisation round in Quatar will deliver positive results concerning the opening of agriculture markets. "WTO would not support another failure such as Seattle, and we're convinced that both the Bush administration and the Europe Union are decided to negotiate on this issue", said Philip Lewin Wellington's Chamber of Commerce CEO and former New Zeland ambassador in Washington. However Mr. Lewin, who expects to visit Mercosur countries with the official delegation, pointed out that farmers must also produce top quality and in accordance with consumers demand and wishes, and government must help generate export and business opportunities, "but that is all".