The United States (US) is an important trade partner for Fiji, accounting for around 10 percent of total trade (exports and imports). The US is also an important source market for Fiji’s tourism (10 percent), remittances inflows (approx. 30 percent) and a key development partner for the last many decades.
Fiji has had a trade surplus with the US. Our exports to the US were just below F$500m for the past 3 years while imports grew from $190m in 2022 to $425m in 2024. The trade surplus was $293m in 2022 and declined to $63m last year.
Fiji’s major exports to the US includes mineral water, kava, fish products, sugar confectionary and wood artefacts. Major imports from the US includes, medical equipment’s, aircraft parts, machinery and electrical equipment.
Fiji has 4 rates of import duty, 0 percent, 5 percent, 15 percent and 32 percent. Of the total value of imports from the US last year, 72 percent were at zero import duty, 25 percent imports at 5 percent, and less than 4 percent imports at 15 percent and 32 percent.
While 96 percent of US imports into Fiji attracts either zero duty or just 5 percent, the imposition of a 32 percent across the board tariff on Fijian exports into USA is quite disproportionate and unfair. Nonetheless, we are still trying to get more details on the exact rationale and application of the newly announced retaliatory tariff by the US and will work with our key stakeholders and US counterparts to get this.
Professor Biman Prasad
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
03 April 2025