Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Manoa Kamikamica says Fiji is actively participating in the fourth review of its Trade Policy at the World Trade Organisation.
Speaking in Parliament, Kamikamica said the review process plays a pivotal role in enabling the country to thoroughly assess the impact of its trade policies, engage in constructive dialogues with trading partners, and deliberate on the necessary adjustments to enhance Fiji’s strategy further.
He said the Trade Policy Reviews are a mandated exercise stemming from the Marrakesh Agreement that established the World Trade Organisation and these reviews serve to enhance the transparency and understanding of countries’ trade policies and practices and enable a multilateral assessment of how WTO member policies affect the world trading system.
Kamikamica said it is crucial to clarify that this is not a legal scrutiny, but rather a constructive stock-take aimed at fostering a better understanding and providing recommendations for improvement.
He said the frequency of these reviews varies according to a country’s size, and for Fiji, our trade policies undergo review every six years at the WTO.
“The TPR process involves two essential documents: a policy statement by the Government under review and a detailed, independent report authored by the WTO Secretariat.”
“The journey towards Fiji’s Fourth Trade Policy Review began last July, to prepare the WTO Secretariat Report, Fiji worked diligently to providing timely information to the Secretariat with the assistance of our stakeholders.”
The Deputy Prime Minister said Fiji has received a total of 169 advanced written questions from various WTO members, demonstrating the global community’s keen interest in our trade policies.
Kamikamica said Fiji is pleased to have provided comprehensive and well-considered answers to these questions, both in writing and during the Trade Policy Review sessions.
He added Fiji has received overwhelming support and commendations from numerous WTO members including Barbados, Vanuatu, Ecuador, Timor-Leste, Samoa, Indonesia, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Mauritius, Japan, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Singapore, the European Union, China, Costa Rica, Brazil and South Korea.
