Samoa welcomes the Cook Islands’ ratification of the Pacific Agreement on
Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus, bringing the total to eight ratifications required to
trigger the entry into force of the agreement. PACER Plus will enter into force in December
2020.
PACER Plus is the regional trade, development and economic cooperation agreement between
the Forum Island Countries, Australia and New Zealand. The PACER Plus Implementing
Arrangement for Development and Economic Cooperation will provide assistance to PACER
Plus island countries to strengthen their capacity to benefit from regional and international trade
and contribute to achieving economic growth and sustainable development.
Australia and New Zealand have committed to jointly fund the AUD$25.5m Development and
Economic Cooperation Work Programme (DECWP) from entry into force of the PACER Plus.
The DECWP has six main components linked to the different aspects of the agreement: Rules of
Origin and tariff commitments; Customs Procedures; Sanitary & Phytosanitary measures;
Technical Regulations, Standards & Conformity; Trade in Services; and Investment. The
DECWP provides flexibility for emerging and changing priorities to be addressed. Signatories
are considering early activities to be undertaken including in relation to COVID-19 impacts on
trade.
The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) will be established to deliver the DECWP. Senior
Officials agreed at their meeting on 15 October 2020 to recommend to PACER Plus Trade
Ministers that the Unit be established in Samoa after a competitive bidding process. The
Government will support and facilitate the establishment of the PACER Plus Implementation
Unit in Samoa and will work closely with all PACER Plus Parties.
In preparation for entry into force of the agreement and implementation, the Government will
focus on the key areas including the prioritisation of Samoa’s trade related needs, technical
capacity building and trainings for stakeholders on priority areas, communications and long term
work to include the implementation of obligations including promotion of transparency in trade
policy development, export development and trade promotion and strengthening of cooperation
through the Arrangement on Labour Mobility.
