Table 3 Key Fijian ratified trade agreements

South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SPARTECA)

1981

Cook Island, Australia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Niue, Australia and New Zealand

Non-reciprocal regional trade agreement designed to allow Pacific Island countries progressive tariff-free access for many of their exports into the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Melanesian Spearhead Group Trade Agreement (MSGTA)

1998

Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands & Papua New Guinea

Preferential Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aimed at promoting regional integration, removing trade barriers and governing trade.

Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA)

2002

Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

Regional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) governing trade in goods and aimed at establishing a single market by creating a free-trade area among the 14 Pacific island member countries.

Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER)

2008

14 PICTA countries and Australia and New Zealand

Framework Agreement for future trade cooperation and economic integration between PICTA members and Australia and New Zealand aimed to create a single regional economy.

Cotonou Agreement

2003. This expired in 2007

Fiji, 79 developing countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific region and the European Union

Partnership agreement governing development, political, economic and trade cooperation.

Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA)

2009

Fiji and the European Union

Following the expiration of the Cotonou Agreement in 2007, Fiji signed iEPA to protect its sugar exports to the European Community while EPA negotiations for preferential access to the EU market are currently being negotiated.