Cook Islands finance minister Mark Brown PACER Plus is due to enter into force on 13 December 2020, and will mark the largest free trade agreement (FTA) to … The Cook Islands delegation to the PACER Plus meetings also participated in the Pacific ACP Trade Officials and Ministers Meetings, as well as the Forum Trade Officials and Ministers Meetings. For the past three years, the Cook Islands has been working to put in place legal and other arrangements to enable the Government to ratify the Agreement. Frank Grozel & Poul Hansen United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) The Australia and New Zealand-led deal was signed in 2017, although two of the region's biggest economies, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, have refused to join. Cook Islands was the eighth country to ratify the agreement on 14 October 2020, triggering the 60-day countdown for PACER Plus to enter into force. We have participated actively over the years in the PACER Plus negotiations and fought hard to ensure that the Agreement will work for us. If you would like to participate, visit the project page. Eight countries have now ratified PACER Plus – Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Australia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and New Zealand have now ratified. Last October, the Cook Islands put its ratification on hold over fears it would miss out on economic assistance when it graduated to developed-country status. The objective of the Agreement is to maximise opportunities for Forum Island Countries (FICs) to use trade and investment as engines of growth, to create jobs and ensure higher incomes and living standards. It has been signed by 11 countries. Pacer Plus set to come on stream later this year - Cooks Deputy PM. Of great importance for the Cook Islands are the associated commitments of Australia and New Zealand to provide Aid-for-Trade assistance (AUD 25 million) to enable FIC parties to PACER Plus to build their capacities to be able to take advantage of opportunities that will become available under the Agreement. After more than a decade of negotiations, the region's PACER Plus free trade deal is set to start on December the 13th. Overall, the capacity building provided by OCO is designed to support the PACER Plus Parties to optimize the use of preferences provided for by PACER Plus. Mark Brown said the first benefit would be access to help from New Zealand and Australia. WikiProject Polynesia / Cook Islands / Niue / Samoa / Tonga ... PACER Plus is within the scope of WikiProject Australia, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of Australia and Australia-related topics. Relevance to Pacer Plus Pacer Plus negotiations began in 2009 and concluded in 2017, with 11 countries signing the Agreement. The PACER Plus negotiations helped clarify that Pacific economies face unique hurdles to international trade. “It also remains open to accession by Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu which have signed but not ratified, and likewise to other Pacific Island countries such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea which are yet to sign the agreement. We are certain that PACER Plus will open new trade and investment opportunities for the Cook Islands that have not existed before. “PACER Plus enters into force for Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga,” Minister Littleproud said. RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, April 28, 2017) – The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus deal is as much about development as it is about trade for the Cook Islands, says prime minister Henry Puna. (Source: RNZ pacific news Samoa has ratified a major Pacific free trade agreement, edging it closer to rollout. In doing so, it has played a coordination role within Government in efforts to prepare for ratification, working closely with the Business Trade and Investment Board, the Crown Law Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance and Economic Management and others on various aspects of the Agreement. The Cook Islands Trade Portal is a trade facilitation platform implemented by the government of the Cook Islands, in the context of the PACER Plus agreement, with technical assistance from UNCTAD and funding from Australia and New By the middle of the year the required number of countries are expected to have ratified it, allowing the deal to come into force. As with every Agreement, however, it will be up to us to take advantage of those opportunities in the months ahead.” Australia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and New Zealand have now ratified. Eleven countries signed the agreement. “PACER Plus enters into force for Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga,” Minister Littleproud said. The remaining signatories yet to ratify are Nauru, Tuvalu and … PACER Plus is an agreement that has been sold as a positive development outcome for Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Cook Islands recently became the eighth country to ratify Pacer Plus, following Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Australia. PACER Plus will enter into force on 13 December. My Government is committed to that goal and will dedicate resources to support make that possible in the months ahead.”, Queries regarding this media release or the Cook Islands and PACER Plus can be directed to MFAI Director of Pacific and Regional Affairs Dr. Jim Gosselin at jim.gosselin@cookislands.gov.ck or phone 29347, [Media Release - MFAI] Cook Islands Ratified PACER Plus, Of great importance for the Cook Islands are, Queries regarding this media release or the Cook Islands, © Copyright ​PaePae Ropi'anga o te Kavamani. By Rashneel Kumar RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, April 28, 2017) – The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus deal is as much about development as it is about trade for the Cook Islands, says prime minister Henry Puna. Trade and prosperity in the Pacific will thrive following formal notification that Cook Islands is the eighth state to ratify the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus), triggering its formal entry into force in 60 days. Pacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in 60 days now that the required eight countries have ratified it. This assistance is now being extended to PACER Plus parties: Kiribati, Cook Islands and Niue, along with existing support for Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. ... Tonga, Solomon Islands, Niue and Cook Islands. Eleven countries signed the agreement. Cook Islands was the eighth country to ratify PACER Plus, following Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Australia. As with every Agreement, however, it will be up to us to take advantage of those opportunities in the months ahead.” The Agreement entered into force on 13 December 2020. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said PACER Plus was an important part of our broader engagement in the Pacific and provided an avenue to help foster a secure and stable region. Time and again, studies detailed the structural features that differentiate Pacific economies: small size, distance from markets, expensive transport links, a reliance on imports, and vulnerability to disasters (such as intense cyclones) and shocks (such as the COVID-19 pandemic). The eleven countries who have signed the PACER Plus Agreement are Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, while eight have ratified the agreement. Cook Islands was the eighth country to ratify PACER Plus, following Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Australia. The Cook Islands Trade Portal is a trade facilitation platform implemented by the government of the Cook Islands, in the context of the PACER Plus agreement, with technical assistance from UNCTAD and funding from Australia and New Zealand Cook Islands to ratify PACER Plus The PACER Plus trade deal is led by New Zealand and Australia and has nine Pacific Island signatories, but only Samoa has ratified it . “PACER Plus ready to go sends a very strong message that the Pacific region and New Zealand are ready to do business,’ Fiso John Fiso said. As Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said, “We are certain that PACER Plus will open new trade and investment opportunities for the Cook Islands that have not existed before. The trade deal known as Pacer Plus will have immediate benefits for the Cook Islands when it comes into force later this year, says the Cooks' deputy prime minister. As with every Agreement, however, it will be up to us to take advantage of those opportunities in the months ahead.” 9:35 am on 21 February 2020. The trade deal known as Pacer Plus will have immediate benefits for the Cook Islands when it comes into force later this year, says the Cooks' deputy prime minister. As Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said, “We are certain that PACER Plus will open new trade and investment opportunities for the Cook Islands that have not existed before. PACER Plus is a regional trade, development and economic cooperation agreement between Pacific Island Countries and Australia and New Zealand covering trade in goods, services and investment. PACER Plus will only enter into force after eight of the signatory countries step in to ratify. As with every Agreement, however, it will be up to us to take advantage of those opportunities in the months ahead.” PACER Plus is a one-way trade deal and squandered opportunity for the Pacific islands writes Adam Wolfenden. Cook Islands was the eighth country to ratify the agreement on 14 October 2020, triggering the 60-day countdown for PACER Plus to enter into force. The remaining signatories yet to ratify are Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Launching of PACER PLUS Project November 14, 2019 The PACER PLUS Project for the Implementation of the Pacific Trade & Customs Harmonisation Project was officially launched on 14 th of November, 2019 in Honiara, Solomon Islands by the New Zealand High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands. In the third and final piece of a three-article series, Wesley Morgan calls for nations like Australia to cement the long-term relationship with its Pacific family and build a more integrated regional economy. RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, June 19, 2017) – The controversial PACER-Plus deal was signed this week despite the notable absence of three major Pacific island economies, raising questions about the viability of the agreement to the region. Te Kauono Tutara e te Mana Tiaki – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. Tonga's government has committed to ratifying the Pacer Plus trade deal. Cook Islands was the eighth nation to ratify PACER Plus , enabling the agreement to enter into force. The Cook Islands Finance Minister Mark Brown said the decision to hit pause on the … "PACER Plus will make trade easier for signatories to the agreement, which will grow jobs, boost sustainable economic growth and contribute to a safer and more prosperous Pacific," David Parker said. About OCO: OCO is a grouping of 23 customs administrations in the Pacific region. "To assist Pacific Island countries' agencies, such as their trade agencies, such as their customs agencies, such as their quarantine agencies to be up to speed with any requirements for compliance that is needed in terms of their inwards trade as well as their outwards trade.". This comes as New Zealand last week became the first country to ratify the deal that has also been signed by nine Pacific countries and Australia. The Cook Islands had put its ratification on hold because of fears it would miss out on development assistance, but Mark Brown says the deal will be ratified in June. PACER Plus negotiations began in 2009 and concluded in 2017. Pacer Plus set to come on stream later this year - Cooks Deputy PM. PACER Plus negotiations began in 2009 and concluded in 2017. The Cook Islands is the eighth signatory of PACER Plus to ratify the Agreement, thus bringing the Agreement into force with the Cook Islands being one of the original parties. PACER Plus entered into force on 13 December 2020. PACER Plus covers trade in goods (rules of origin and verification The regional free trade agreement, PACER Plus, will come into force on December 13. As with every Agreement, however, it will be up to us to take advantage of those opportunities in the months ahead.” Cook Islands National Security Policy will be released at a time when its need to work on the Pacer Plus will be pronounced. Cook Islands is the eighth signatory to PACER Plus, joining Australia, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Last October, the Cook Islands put its ratification on hold over fears it would miss out on economic assistance when it graduated The 22 officers from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Tonga, Niue, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands who are participants of the training will receive updated technical information on PACER Plus Rules of Origin and its application. 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