The Green Party is warning the Government’s trade negotiators their US counterparts are on the hunt for major concessions at the Trans Pacific Partnership talks in Auckland this week.

Representatives from the nine countries involved are in Auckland, and the US delegation is eyeing our Government’s overseas investment rules.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says the recent policy announcements giving the Government greater discretionary powers on foreign investment in farmland haven’t pleased the US.

“The United States’ trade representative, who leads the trade work for the US Government, [have] repeatedly targeted New Zealand’s overseas investment laws in their reports, because they see our incoming investment laws as a restriction on trade."

Dr Norman says the US might seek to exploit our Government’s initial desire to relax foreign investment laws.

"Early in this Government’s term, Bill English indicated that he wanted to get rid of our overseas investment regulations.

"Since then the public campaign has forced him to back down a bit – so whether he uses the negotiations with the United States to head back to his original position, we’ll see.”

Dr Norman says the multi-national make-up of the TPP could give New Zealand leeway with the US it wouldn’t get in bi-lateral talks.