Vanuatu ratifies PACER Plus

27 September 2022

Vanuatu has become the tenth country to ratify PACER Plus after formally notifying the Depository in Tonga on 12 August 2022.

PACER Plus will enter into force for Vanuatu on 11 October 2022.

Virtual Trade Ministers' Meeting

22 August 2022

Trade Minister representatives of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus met virtually on 27 July 2022. They welcomed Tuvalu as the latest member of the PACER Plus family and discussed progress made on delivery of the Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme since the last Ministers’ Meeting.

PACER Plus Ministers, via communique, reaffirmed their intention to work together under PACER Plus to address challenges and develop new and innovative solutions to facilitate access to markets, support economic recovery and strengthen connectivity beyond pre-COVID 19 levels.  

PACER Plus Communiqué July 2022 [DOCX 80 KB]

PACER Plus Communiqué July 2022 [PDF 815 KB]

Tuvalu ratifies PACER Plus

1 March 2022

Tuvalu has become the ninth country to ratify PACER Plus after formally notifying the Depository in Tonga on 2 February 2022.

PACER Plus will enter into force for Tuvalu on 3 April.

Virtual Trade Ministers' Meeting

7 July 2021

Trade Minister representatives of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus met virtually on 30 June 2021. They discussed the progress made on the implementation of the Agreement since its entry into force on 13 December 2020.

PACER Plus Ministers, via communique, recalled their intentions for PACER Plus to maximise opportunities for Forum Island Countries to use trade and investment as engines of growth, to create jobs, ensuring higher incomes and living standards, and building the necessary capacity to actively participate and benefit from the Agreement.

PACER Plus Communique June 2021 [DOCX 150 KB]

PACER Plus Communique June 2021 [PDF 576 KB]

Rapid Needs Assessments

27 April 2021

Rapid Needs Assessments (RNAs) consultations are being undertaken in April and May 2021 to identify how PACER Plus members can make the most of the agreement and to inform the PACER+ development work program.

RNAs are being undertaken in all Pacific island countries which are signatories to PACER Plus ‑ Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

• Rapid Needs Assessments media release
• Rapid Needs Assessments – Institute of International Trade
• Rapid Needs Assessments flyer

PACER Plus enters into force

18 December 2020

On 13 December the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) entered into force with Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga, Parties to the Agreement.

PACER Plus Ministers, via communique, welcomed entry into force of the Agreement and looked forward to establishing the Implementation Unit in Samoa in 2021.

PACER Plus Communique December 2020 [PDF]

PACER Plus to enter into force

14 October 2020

Cook Islands has become the eighth country to ratify PACER Plus after formally notifying the Depository in Tonga. This is the final ratification needed to trigger entry into force of the Agreement.

Read the joint media release by Minister Payne and Minister Birmingham

Solomon Islands and Niue ratify

14 September 2020

Solomon Islands and Niue became the sixth and seventh countries to ratify PACER Plus after formally notifying the Depository in Tonga on 22 June 2020 and 3 July 2020 respectively.

PACER Plus will enter into force sixty days after the eighth county ratifies the Agreement.

Tonga fifth country to achieve ratification

22 April 2020

Tonga has become the fifth country to ratify PACER Plus after formally notifying its Depository on 27 March 2020.

It joins New Zealand, Australia, Samoa and Kiribati in achieving ratification, with three more countries required to ratify to ensure entry into force. Once the eighth country ratifies PACER Plus, a 60-day period will commence prior to the Agreement’s official entry into force.

PACER Plus is a comprehensive development-centred free trade agreement between Australia, New Zealand and nine Pacific island countries (Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu). Once it enters into force, the agreement will help Pacific island countries to better participate in and benefit from regional and global trade.

Forum Trade Ministers Meeting PACER Plus Communique 2020

13 February 2020

The Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham attended the Pacific Island Forum Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Suva on 13 February 2020. Minister Birmingham joined Pacific Islands Forum Ministers in calling for continued momentum to bring the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus into force. To date Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Kiribati have ratified PACER Plus. Seven other countries are party to PACER Plus, including the Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu and have committed to ratify the Agreements before 30 June 2020. It is anticipated that the Agreement will enter into force in the second half of 2020.

Forum Trade Ministers Meeting PACER Plus Communique Feb 2020 [PDF 302 KB]

Australia ratifies PACER Plus

20 December 2018

On 20 December 2018, Australia notified Tonga, as Depositary of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus), that Australia had completed its applicable legal procedures necessary for entry into force of the Agreement. This included the following Acts that received Royal Assent on 25 September 2018

• Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Act 2018 (Act No. 112 of 2018)
• Customs Tariff Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Act 2018 (Act No. 113 of 2018)

Australia is the second country to ratify the Agreement, New Zealand having been the first on 24 October 2018.

The Pacific island country signatories that have not yet ratified the Agreement are Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. PACER Plus will come into force 60 days after the eighth signatory to ratify the Agreement notifies the Depositary in Tonga that they have completed their domestic processes.

Australian Government response to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties' PACER Plus report

18 December 2018

On 9 May 2018 the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) tabled in Parliament the report of its inquiry into the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus). The report included the recommendation that Australia take binding treaty action to ratify PACER Plus.

On 18 December 2018 the Australian Government tabled its response to the JSCOT report.

29 November 2017 tabling of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) in the Australian Parliament

The text of PACER Plus, the associated Side Letter between Australia and New Zealand, and a National Interest Analysis [PDF 2.1 MB] were tabled in the Australian Senate on 29 November 2017 and will be tabled in the Australian House of Representatives on 4 December 2017.

The Agreement will be considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT). JSCOT has invited interested persons and organisations to make submissions.

Pacific Trade and Development Agreement

Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Keith Pitt, signed the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus) at the ceremony in Nuku'alofa, Tonga.

Media release: Pacific Trade and Development Agreement, 14 June 2017

Public release of PACER Plus text

On 31 May 2017, the PACER Plus text was released.

20 April 2017 conclusion of Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus negotiations

On 20 April 2017, 14 negotiating parties concluded negotiations on PACER Plus.

September 2016 update on Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus negotiations

The 47th Pacific Islands Forum was held in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, from 8 to 10 September 2016. In their Communiqué, Leaders noted: the progress of negotiations for PACER Plus; the agreed timetable for its conclusion; the commitment of Australia and New Zealand to support the implementation of the Agreement; and the recommendations of the Sustainable Impact Assessment prepared by the Office of the Chief Trade Adviser.

More information: 47th Pacific Islands Forum Communiqué