The United States hopes negotiations for a trans-Pacific trade deal involving New Zealand will eventually lead to a much wider regional agreement.
The negotiations begin in Melbourne on Monday, and the US ambassador to New Zealand, David Huebner, says they will not be easy.
Mr Huebner says both New Zealand and the US stand to benefit from a deal and other countries could eventually be added to the eight already negotiating the agreement.
The other countries involved in the talks are Australia, Chile, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Peru.
