With just weeks before a steep 32 per cent tariff on Fijian goods is reinstated, Fiji’s government has signalled its willingness to send a delegation to the United States in a final bid to renegotiate the trade terms under President Donald Trump’s controversial reciprocal tariff regime.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica confirmed that while negotiations are ongoing under confidentiality arrangements, officials are prepared to travel to Washington, D.C., to present Fiji’s case directly.
“We’ve certainly tried to argue as best we can over the case of Fiji and why we think the tariffs are too high,” Kamikamica said. “We are willing to even travel to the U.S. if that’s required.”
The looming deadline—9 July—marks the potential reinstatement of the full 32% tariff initially announced by President Trump in April 2025. That decision formed part of a sweeping “kind reciprocal” global tariff framework targeting 57 countries with perceived trade surpluses against the US.
Earlier reporting by The Australia Today in April detailed how Fiji was included in this crackdown, despite charging U.S. imports an average tariff of 63%. At the White House announcement, Trump pointed to trade partners like Fiji as examples of long-standing imbalances, remarking, “In many cases, the friend is worse than the foe in terms of trade.”
Although the U.S. later softened Fiji’s tariff to 10% to allow space for negotiations, failure to reach an agreement will see the original 32% rate snap back into effect, threatening key Fijian exports.
Fiji’s Ministry of Finance previously expressed concern about the disproportionate nature of the measure, arguing it unfairly targets a long-standing trade and development partner. “The United States is an important trade partner for Fiji, accounting for around 10 per cent of total trade and over 30 per cent of remittance inflows,” said Minister for Finance Prof. Biman Prasad.
Prasad also noted that over 70% of U.S. goods entering Fiji were duty-free last year, countering Trump’s assertion of an unfair trading environment. Fiji applies a tiered tariff system, with the highest rates reserved for luxury items and goods with excise implications, such as sugary drinks and motor vehicles.
But the country’s most vulnerable sector is its bottled water industry, which exported $241 million worth of product to the U.S. in 2023, making the U.S. both the largest and fastest-growing destination for Fijian water. Water is Fiji’s number one export, and the country ranks as the world’s fourth-largest water exporter.
With U.S. imports from Fiji—including water, kava, sugar products, fish, and wood artefacts—now facing higher duties, analysts warn of substantial pressure on Fiji’s export economy, especially as its trade surplus with the U.S. has already shrunk from $293 million in 2022 to just $63 million in 2024.
Meanwhile, the U.S. exports high-value items to Fiji, such as aircraft parts, electrical machinery, and medical equipment, reflecting a mutually beneficial trade corridor.
Kamikamica said Fiji is hopeful that its close diplomatic ties with the United States will be factored into any final decision. “We hope the long-standing relationship between the two countries will be considered in the decision-making,” he said.
With the countdown to 9 July now underway, Fiji’s proposed diplomatic push marks a critical juncture in its efforts to shield vital industries from what could be a major economic setback
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