26-27 August 2020, TATTE Convention Centre
Your Excellency, Dr Trevor Matheson
Your Excellency, Mr David Ward
Your Excellency, Mr Genichi Terasawa
Mr Barry Patterson, Acting Australian High Commissioner
Mr Mr Jonathan Lee Yoo
Representatives of government, private sector and civil society
Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you for making time to join us today, and tomorrow, to have an exchange on trade arrangements that Samoa is a part of. The objectives of the workshop are to raise awareness of trade arrangements that Samoa has signed up to; revisit opportunities through trade arrangements and how Samoa could explore these further; as well as consider the challenges and how best we can jointly address these with our key trading partners.
Our workshop is taking place at a time of global and universal uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite Samoa’s COVID19-free status, amongst 12 COVID19-free countries in the world (10 of these countries are in the Pacific), we have not been spared by the economic and social impacts of this health crisis. We want to utilise the opportunity through this workshop to hear from you on how we can address some of the associated challenges through trade arrangements so that engagement with our trading partner governments are informed.
The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations, or PACER, Plus is the most recent trade and economic cooperation agreement that Samoa has signed and ratified. We have invited the High Commissioners of New Zealand and Australia to speak in the PACER Plus session and share their perspectives on how PACER Plus can support Samoa, the Pacific island economies and promote regional integration.
Despite the criticisms of PACER Plus, and free trade agreements in general, the Government sees PACER Plus as a Pacific regional trade partnership with our key trading partners, Australia and New Zealand. It will be our collective responsibility to ensure that we are not worse off, economically; and for Samoa to pursue opportunities to expand trade and investment.
Samoa’s LDC graduation in 2014 prompted the government to consider alternative trade arrangements. As such, Samoa signed and ratified the EU-Pacific Interim Economic Partnership Agreement which continued the export of Samoa’s virgin coconut oil and nonu juice to the EU. Samoa is now in the process of acceding to the United Kingdom-Pacific IEPA as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. I am pleased that His Excellency, David Ward, the British High Commissioner to Samoa, will expand on Britain’s trade relations with Samoa later this afternoon.
We have received requests from the private sector for the government to enter into bilateral trade arrangements with key trading partners such as China, Japan and American Samoa. I hope that you will engage with the Ministry further during those relevant sessions to provide further guidance on how we can address the challenges associated therewith.
Samoa’s membership of trade agreements and participation in the multilateral trading system through the World Trade Organisation follow the Government’s strategic priorities and direction set out in the Strategy for the Development of Samoa around increasing exports, business productivity and labour mobility opportunities; improve commerce and business investment environment; and engaging the private sector in development.
Trade agreements exist to facilitate trade through lowering or removing of trade barriers such as import duties; transparent rules; access to capacity building in supplies and technical know-how; and fair competition.
I acknowledge the support of New Zealand and Australia through the PACER Plus Readiness Package which has enabled our workshop to be undertaken today and tomorrow.
I wish you well in your exchanges.
Soifua
