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Summarised by Centrist
US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to New Zealand says expanding defence cooperation and securing critical mineral supply chains will be among his top priorities if confirmed.
Speaking before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, nominee Jared Novelly said he would work to strengthen ties with New Zealand as part of Washington’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy.
Novelly is part of the billionaire Apex Oil family, whose privately held energy and logistics empire has an estimated net worth of about US$1.2 billion. Novelly also owns the Illawarra Hawks in Australia’s National Basketball League.
“In advancing the President’s agenda, we have few better partners than New Zealand,” Novelly said, describing the country as a government that “consistently supports our goals in the region and beyond.”
Novelly outlined three main priorities for the role: promoting a “free and open Pacific,” expanding defence cooperation with New Zealand, and supporting US business interests.
“If confirmed, I would prioritise expanding our defence partnership with New Zealand,” he told the committee.
Novelly also referenced Chinese live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea last year, which caused flight diversions and raised regional security concerns.
“Few countries understand the darkening security environment in the Pacific better than New Zealand,” he said.
The ambassadorial role would also cover Samoa, the Cook Islands and Niue.
“The Cook Islands’ EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone] contains possibly the largest cobalt deposit in the world,” he said, adding that cooperation on seabed minerals could strengthen supply chains for critical minerals.
Republican Senator Pete Ricketts described New Zealand as a “trusted friend and increasingly important strategic actor in the Indo-Pacific.”
If confirmed by the Senate committee, Novelly would undergo briefings and training before being posted to Wellington, typically within 60 days of confirmation.
