The Trade Minister's staying cautious - even as exports surge

New trade figures show exports increased to 29.2 billion dollars in the December quarter - up 2.2 billion on a year earlier.

Two-way trade also leapt to just over 61 billion.

Todd McClay says high tariffs won't halt trade - but they do complicate long-term partnerships.

He says we want high tariff rates to stop from the US, and we need certainty even more.