Joint EU-Fiji Statement on the implementation of the EU-Pacific Interim Economic Partnership Agreement

Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis (pictured) and Manoa Kamikamica, deputy prime minister and minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications of Fiji, have announced the strengthening of bilateral trade relations through the full implementation of the EU-Pacific Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The interim EPA is a trade and development agreement that liberalises bilateral trade, in order to promote sustainable development and Fiji's integration into the global economy. While the European Union had already eliminated tariffs and quotas on all imports from Fiji, the Government of Fiji has taken the decision to phase out duties on committed tariff lines on imports from European Union Member States. This is a basket of committed tariff lines.

Tariffs on certain imports from the European Union will remain or continue to apply, primarily to protect Fijian food security and the development of domestic value chains. This is known as the ‘tariff line exclusion basket’.

The effective implementation of the interim EPA and its tariff liberalisation commitments is expected to further improve trade opportunities for businesses and investors. The current phasing out of tariffs will also provide cheaper inputs for products manufactured in Fiji, enhancing the competitiveness of locally manufactured products and supporting both local industrial development and integration into global value chains.

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