‘NO DECISIONS YET ON TRUMP’S PLAN’

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica says it is “premature” to raise concerns about United States President Donald Trump’s newly-announced plan that targets non-reciprocal U.S trade arrangements, given that no decisions have been made yet on countries in the Pacific, including Fiji.

“As a proportion of the United States of America’s total import trade, Fiji and the Pacific are insignificant. Any major tariffs, however, would adversely impact Fiji and these Pacific countries,” Mr Kamikamica told this masthead.

Yesterday, President Trump outlined his ‘Fair and Reciprocal Plan’ to impose new reciprocal tariffs on countries that charge U.S imports and restore balanced trade between the United States and its trading partners, as part of his America First agenda.

Mr Kamikamica said the current focus of the U.S’s new tariffs appears to be on its major trading partners - China, Canada, Mexico and India.

Last week, President Trump announced additional tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China in an effort to tackle what the White House called an “extraordinary threat” posed by the influx of illegal aliens, fentanyl and other drugs.

Feddback: jernese.macanawai@fijisun.com.fj