Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus

The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) is free trade agreement between Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Niue, Vanuatu, and Cook Islands.

The Agreement immediately eliminates tariffs on imports into Australia and New Zealand from the other signatories. The Pacific Island Countries have committed to lowering or eliminating tariffs on goods imported from Australia and New Zealand including: 

• Electric generation equipment 
• Mechanical equipment including pumps, appliances, and other advanced machinery
• Electric motors, transformers, batteries, and capacitors
• Motor vehicles and vehicle parts (except for motor vehicle imports into Myanmar and Vietnam)
• Mineral ore and processed products including graphite, manganese, copper, aluminum, and nickel
• Various products manufactured using above minerals and metals such as sheets, powders, bars, and plates
• Photovoltaic cells

The Agreement also includes rules of origin and local content provisions. Goods are counted as originating from a signatory if:

• wholly produced or obtained in the country 
• qualifies for a change in HS code as defined for each good; or,
• meets minimum regional value content of 40% for value-added within the PACER Plus member states; and the final step has taken place in a PACER Plus member state.

Want to know more about this policy ? Learn more