Fiji is scheduled to begin talks to negotiate tariffs with United States Trade Representatives (USTR) next week.

This comes after US President Donald Trump yesterday announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs and a lowered 10 per cent tariff for numerous countries, except China, while trade talks continue.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica yesterday confirmed that Fiji had contacted the US Government about negotiating lower tariffs.

He said Fiji had a “good case” to present to President Trump.

“We welcome the decision by President Trump to put a pause on tariffs and revise to 10 per cent. This is a massive relief for all our exporters,” he told this masthead.

“We are keen to put a case forward for Fiji.”

On Wednesday, Mr Kamikamica said Fiji’s tariff rates against the U.S were very low and that all Fijian goods entering the US do not affect employment in the U.S.

He argued that Fiji’s current import duty on U.S imported goods was, on average, less than two per cent. ANZ international economist for the Pacific, Kishti Sen, also believed Fiji has a case to make for tariffs well below 10 per cent, even a zero-rating tariff.

“Fiji does not levy 64 per cent tariff on American exports to Fiji. The actual ‘effective’ rate is less than two per cent,” he said.

“Fiji also can’t shift manufacturing of its key export to the US – bottled water – because the resource sits in a reservoir several metres underground.

“Other exports such as kava and root crops cannot be cultivated at scale in the U.S. A and Fiji is a relatively small developing economy and has had for many decades a close friendship and relationship with the U.S. It needs to continue to grow its export market to move up the development ladder.

“I think this puts Fiji in a great position to cut a deal with the U.S.”

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