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Ryan Bridge: The Kiwi trying to stop the Trump tariffs · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Rosemary Banks, remember that name. She now has one of
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: the most important jobs for New Zealand, a potential two
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  Speaker 1: billion dollar job. She's our woman in DC. She's the
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  Speaker 1: ambassador to the United States. Her mission get us an
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  Speaker 1: exemption to Trump's tariffs. The scale of the problem massive.
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  Speaker 1: Early estimates at twenty percent. It could cost us one
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  Speaker 1: point seven billion dollars every year. Our total exports currently
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  Speaker 1: eight point eight billion, so that's huge. It can be done.
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  Speaker 1: The Aussie's got an exemption on steel and aluminium in
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  Speaker 1: twenty eighteen under Trump. Is she up to the job.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: I'm told yes, if anyone can do it, Rosemary Banks
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  Speaker 1: is the person that you want up there. I'm told
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  Speaker 1: she's got excellent contacts with the Republican Party and she
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  Speaker 1: is working the phones and working them hard. She was
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: asked to stay on by Winston Peters back in May
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  Speaker 1: in anticipation that Trump might get in smart move. She's
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  Speaker 1: the same ambassador, was the same ambassador in charge when
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  Speaker 1: we nearly got an FTA through during Trump's last term.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Of course, it's not all on her. Winston Todd, McLay, luxon,
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  Speaker 1: they will all play their parts, but the ground game
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  Speaker 1: is on Rosemary and we may have some advantage here
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  Speaker 1: in that we do export food, and food is something
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  Speaker 1: Trump probably doesn't want to make more expensive. Then there's
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: the uncertainty of whether Trump will actually make good on
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  Speaker 1: his campaign big talk. Rosemary's not waiting around for that
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  Speaker 1: uncertainty or for certainty on the uncertainty, I should say
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  Speaker 1: they have a plan, and by god, it better be
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  Speaker 1: a good one. We like to hate on diplomats, don't we. Oh,
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: they just go to nice dinners and drink wine and schmooze. Well,
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: it is time to crack out our best pinot, use
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  Speaker 1: the contacts, and make the deals happen. The weight of
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: our export nation is on your shoulders, Rosemary, Best of luck.
• 1:47
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• 1:50
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• 1:53
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