Wellington, Oct 2 NZPA - Labour Party leader Phil Goff leaves tonight for Washington and New York where he will hold talks with senior members of the United States administration, congressmen and United Nations representatives.

"I will be working with the Government to promote New Zealand's interests in trade," he said today.

"In particular, I will be supporting progress in the TransPacific Partnership Agreement negotiations, which I signed on New Zealand's behalf last year, and pushing for an outcome to the World Trade Organisation's Doha Round."

Mr Goff, accompanied by Labour's trade spokeswoman Maryan Street, will meet US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and the assistant secretaries of state for defence and agriculture.

Mr Goff and Ms Street will attend the US-NZ Partnership Forum alongside Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Trade Minister Tim Groser.

Former prime minister Helen Clark, head of the UN's Development Programme, is on the list of UN officials they will meet.