𝐌𝐅𝐀𝐄𝐓 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐂𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬.

Director of External Trade, Ms Natalia Patternot

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade recently addressed members of the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce (SICCI) on the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus.

SICCI had invited the Department of External Trade (PACER Plus Focal Point) to deliver a presentation on the Agreement to raise awareness and promote its operationalization of the Agreement.

Director of External Trade, Ms Natalia Patternot, PACER Plus National Coordinator, Tristein Zutu and Customs Team Leader Technical Officer Annette Ibe made the presentations.

Director of Trade, Ms Patternot spoke on the Solomon Islands Government Policy Directions for external trade, including the sensitization of Regional Trade Agreements that Solomon Islands is a party to, and key statistics and information on trade (export and imports) between Solomon Islands and Australia, and between Solomon Islands and New Zealand.

PACER Plus National Coordinator, Tristein Zutu



Mr. Zutu outlined the operations of PACER Plus and covered the different chapters of the Agreement and the obligations, the Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Program, Labour Mobility, and the importance of Private Sector engagement to realize trade gains under the Agreement.

Ms. Ibe delved into a comprehensive outline of the PACER Plus rules of origin requirements, critical in operationalizing the trade in goods component of the agreement and in attaining preferential tariff treatment for goods exported.

There was positive and interactive feedback from the participants on the presentation with questions asked by SICCI members on key areas of the presentations.

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—𝐌𝐅𝐀𝐄𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄.