Willis has previously told RNZ, in talking of the Trump Administration, that she had “never felt so dependent on the actions and feelings of one Administration and its leaders”.
Speaking to the Herald, Willis said she planned to be “very candid with my US counterparts about the significant impact the conflict in the Middle East is having on the New Zealand economy”.
She said the conflict posed a significant risk to the “economic and financial stability of the world”.
“We are anticipating higher inflation and lower growth than would otherwise be the case, and we are actively having to plan for scenarios in which fuel supply could be disrupted and we would have to draw on reserve fuels and restrict demand for fuel in our economy – that is a very serious situation for a small, open economy like New Zealand to be in,” she said.
“I think it is important that the US Administration understand how profound the impacts [of] the conflicts are, even on a country so very far away from that conflict both geographically and in influence,” she said.
Also in Washington DC, Willis signed a joint declaration with the Finance Ministers or equivalent of Britain, Australia, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, and Poland.
The statement said the ministers were “committed to managing the economic response to and recovery from this crisis in a co-ordinated, responsible and responsive way“.
The statement echoed remarks Willis has made in New Zealand, calling for the fiscal response to be targeted, temporary, and timely.
“With government balance sheets constrained, we commit to ensuring that any domestic responses must be fiscally responsible and targeted at those who most need support,” the declaration said.