USTR's Office of Southeast Asia and Pacific Affairs seeks to enhance bilateral trade and investment relations with the Pacific Islands. In 2019, total (two way) goods trade was $1.7 billion between the United States and Pacific Island economies. U.S. goods exports totaled $1.2 billion; goods imports totaled $469 million. The U.S. goods trade surplus with the Pacific Islands was $747.7 million in 2019.
On October 15, 2020, the United States signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Fiji. The TIFA creates a platform on which to further expand and deepen bilateral trade and investment ties between the two countries. This is the United States’ first TIFA with a developing state in the Pacific, and it provides the opportunity, in select circumstances, for other small Pacific Island states to join as observers in TIFA discussions, which helps to strengthen our economic commitment to the region and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Additionally, the United States and Papua New Guinea meet bilaterally and through our mutual membership in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
The United States also has preferential trading arrangements with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia through the Compacts of Free Association.
Eleven Pacific Island economies are eligible for preferential access to the United States through the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
|
Country |
Exports to U.S. (2019) |
Export to U.S. under Preference Programs (2019) |
|
Fiji (GSP) |
$246,765,583 |
$10,247,309 |
|
Kiribati (GSP-LDC) |
$2,791,976 |
$0 |
|
Marshall Islands (FAS) |
$10,523,554 |
$9,109 |
|
Micronesia (FAS) |
$1,557,816 |
$91,041 |
|
Palau (FAS) |
$1,473,663 |
$0 |
|
Papua New Guinea (GSP) |
$70,268,367 |
$467,833 |
|
Samoa (GSP-LDC) |
$7,091,619 |
$2,883,639 |
|
Solomon Islands (GSP-LDC) |
$5,829,391 |
$3,668,499 |
|
Tonga (GSP) |
$4,996,943 |
$228,196 |
|
Tuvalu (GSP-LDC) |
$155,270 |
$0 |
|
Vanuatu (GSP-LDC) |
$6,074,134 |
$73,920 |
GSP = Generalized System of Preferences
GSP-LDC = Generalized System of Preference—Least Developed Countries
FAS = Freely Associated States
