SOLOMON IS: Expects to expand fish trade to EU
Updated
Solomon Islands expects to benefit from its tuna trade to the European Union market under an interim trade arrangement with the Pacific ACP states. Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Patteson Oti says currently, Solomon Islands exports mainly canned tuna to the EU. But Mr Oti says, under an interim trade agreement to be concluded next month, Solomon Islands could also export raw tuna to the EU. He says this is regardless of how the fish is caught, where or who caught it, as long as it is landed in Solomon Islands - it would get EU preferential treatment.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Patteson Oti, Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs Minister
SEKE: When the Pacific ACP countries last met on the 2nd of this month, they decided that contingency measures had to be put in place on trade with the European Union.
Patteson Oti says this is because the December deadline by which time the Pacific Islands countries were expected to have a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, is too short.
He says the ACP Pacific countries hope to sign this temporary trade arrangement with the EU when they meet next month.
Mr Oti says the interim agreement is crucial because by January 8, 2008, Pacific Islands countries will lose their special treatment under the World Trade Organisation.
OTI: The alternative arrangement for the time being is that there will be an interim agreement which will be signed on 12th, 13th. November which we are going to go through for the final meeting to sign this agreement. That agreement will carry us for one year, which time the whole of 2008 will be devoted to finalising what is our standing in the negotiations.
SEKE: Patteson Oti says the most crucial component of the proposed interim trade agreement with the EU is the trade-in goods aspect.
OTI: What will be concluded initially is a trade and goods agreement, a trade and goods component of the entire economic partnership agreement. There are other components, trade in services, intellectual property rights, dispute mechanism settlements. Those will be negotiated in 2008. But what is critical to us now is the provision of trade-in goods, because come January 2008, you will lose the special and differential treatment where you are coded under the exemption of the WTO. Our agreement means that he will not enter the EU market duty free, okay. He will be charged duty on your products into the EU.
SEKE: Mr Oti says as a least developed member-state of the WTO, Solomon Islands enjoys special and differential treatment into the EU market.
OTI: LEC member states of the WTO or the interim special and differential treatment for example, duty free, quota free market access into the EU market alright. Apart from that to, there has been a lot of improvement, especially for industry, yeah. Those who are exporting to the European Union market. I mean and in particular for Solomon Islands. What we are exporting duty free, such as the canned tuna into the EU market.
SEKE: Patteson Oti goes on to explain how the Solomon Islands fishing industry would further benefit from the proposed interim trade agreement with the EU.
OTI The originating product. For example, even roe, roe one, yeah, regardless how many catching, when are you catching, whom are catching. As long as you land in the Solomon Islands, it will enjoy that preference for the EU market. So it's a big improvement to domestically expand them now, what you can, the product of tuna and here's what we're going to conclude in this interim agreement on goods.
