WT/REG451/M/1  
 
19 April 2024 
(24-0624) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  
Hundred and Ninth Session   
 
PACIFIC AGREEMENT ON CLOSER ECONOMIC RELATIONS PLUS (PACER PLUS)  
(GOODS AND SERVICES ) 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 8 APRIL 2024  
Chair: Ambassador H.E. Ms. Clare KELLY (New Zealand)1 
1.1.  The 10 9th Session of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter "CRTA" or the 
"Committee") was convened in Airgram WTO/AIR/RTA/35/Rev.1  dated 28 March  2024. 
1.2.  Under Agenda Item 9.1, the CRTA considered the Agreement establishing a Pacific Agreement  
on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER P lus), goods and  services , (hereinafter "the Agreement").  
The Chair recalled that during the CRTA meeting of 4 March 2009, Members had agreed to consider 
RTAs involving non -Members under the Transparenc y Mechanism's procedures and that regional 
trade agreements (RTAs) notified since 14 December 2006, including future notifications, should be 
taken up before the others. Members had made it clear that the consideration of such agreements 
by the Committee h ad no implications for the views or positions of any Member with respect to the 
consistency of that RTA with the WTO rules and would be without prejudice to the rights and 
obligations of Members under the WTO Agreements, as clearly stated in paragraphs 1 a nd 5 of the 
Transparency Mechanism Decision. Members had also agreed that the consideration of such 
agreements in the CRTA would be organized under a separate Agenda Item.  
1.3.  The Agreement had entered into force between 13 December 2020 and 11 October 2022 
depending on the Party; it was not yet in force for Nauru. It had been notified to the WTO by the 
Parties which were WTO Members under Article  XXIV:7(a) of the GATT  1994 and Article  V:7(a)  of 
the GATS  on 8 April 2021  and 13 October 2022 . The Parties had indicated that the Agreement 
establish ed a free trade area for trade in goods and services within the meaning of GATT 1994 
Article  XXIV and GATS Article V (document s WT/REG451/N/1  and N/2 and S/C/N/1052  and Add.1 ). 
The text of the Agreement,  together with its Annexes, was available on the Parties' official websites 
and in the WTO RTA database.  The Factual Presentation on the goods and services aspects 
(documents  WT/REG451/1  and Add.1 , providing additional information on t rade in services 
liberalization) as well as questions and replies (document WT/REG451/2 ) had been distributed.  
1.4.  The representative  of Samoa  was pleased to deliver the joint statement on behalf of th e Parties  
and thanked  the WTO Secretariat for preparing the Factual Presentation on the Agreement , and to 
members of the CRTA for their positive contribution to the  transparency process.  She also 
acknowledge d written question by Brazil, which had provided an opportunity for the Parties to 
consider the MFN and National Treatment commitments in respect of Intellectual Property Rights.  
1.5.  The Agreement was the first comprehensive RTA negotiated by the Forum Island Countries 
with Australia and New Zealand. It had been signed on 14 June 2017 and entered into force on 
13 December 2020 after eight countries had ratified the Agreement. To date t here were eleven 
Parties to the Agreement ; Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon 
Islands, Tuval u, Tonga and Vanuatu, and she looked forward to ratification by  Nauru  soon. 
 
1 This document was re -issued on 6 May 2024 to correct minor typographic errors .  WT/REG451/M/1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.6.  Members would appreciate from the factual presentation that Australia and New Zealand were 
the two largest economies in terms of GDP and trade in goods and services, while the smallest 
economy was Niue. 
1.7.  The Agreement cover ed trade in goods, which include d tariff commitments, rules of origin, 
customs procedures, sanitary and phytosanitary measure s, and technical barriers to trade. In 
recognition of their importance in sustainable economic development and targeting unemployment 
in the Pacific, trade in services, the movement of natural persons and investment had been  included 
along with a special w orking arrangement on labour mobility.  
1.8.  The Parties had followed the same modalities as in the GATS, covering the four modes of supply 
and a positive -listing approach for scheduling sector specific commitments. It was also worth noting 
that the WTO Member Forum Island Countries (FIC) , namely Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and 
Tonga, had made broader and additional commitments compared to their commitments under the 
GATS.  The Chapter on Investment had aimed to encourage a stable and predictable environment t o 
attract and promote investment between the Parties .  
1.9.  Several activities had been implemented under the PACER Plus work program me, which 
compliment ed the implementation work of other agreements in the region including the interim 
Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU and the UK. Prime examples include d the HS2022 
transposition work, roll out of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), est ablishment 
of National Trade Information Portals, implementation of the Generic ePhyto National System 
(GeNS), and implementation of technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment 
procedures.  
1.10.  A general review of the Agreement was currently underway with a view to assessing progress 
in its implementation since its entry into force. The outcome of the general review would be 
submitted to the Parties for consideration in May 2024.   
1.11.  The Parties firmly reassure d the members of the CRTA for their support to the procedures of 
the Transparency Mechanism of the WTO and had been happy to share further information on 
progress o n the Agreement . 
1.12.  The representative of New Zealand  thank ed Samoa for its statement on behalf of the Parties  
and provided a  national statement in support of the joint statement.  New Zealand consider ed the 
Agreement to be a landmark agreement for the region, that built on earlier agreements and closely 
linked trade and developme nt together.  In addition to raising standards of living, creating jobs and 
increasing exports in Pacific Island Countries, Pacific Parties to the Agreement were being supported 
in implement ing and utili zing the Agreement through the PACER Plus Arrangement on Development 
and Economic Cooperation.  
1.13.  New Zealand and Australia had been providing dedicated development cooperation assistance 
to the other Parties to implement the Agreement and take advantage of the opportunities it provide d, 
which also contribute d to the implementation of other agreements that Pacific Parties had negotiate d 
with other partners. This include d activities such as those to support improvements in customs and 
biosecurity systems improvements, which had led to faster clearance of imported items  with one 
Party report ing reducing clearance times from 1 -2 days to 15 -30 min utes. This of course benefit ed 
consumers too, who were getting fresh products on retail shelves more quickly than before.  
1.14.  Other benefits had flowed  from the Agreement since i ts entry into force. This included rule s 
of origin  accumulation which  provid ed Pacific exporters with greater optionality for processing raw 
materials.  It had also meant that exporters had greater certainty: New Zealand and Australia's tariff 
commitments had been  locked in for the region, meaning certainty and less adjustment for any Party 
graduating from LDC status.  
1.15.  The representative of Australia  also thank ed Samoa for the statement on behalf of the Parties 
and New Zealand for its nati onal statement. Australia also thanked the Parties and the Secretariat 
for all their work culminating in the consideration of the Agreement in the CRTA.  
1.16.  A key objective of the Agreement had been  to support Pacific Island Countries to become 
more active pl ayers in and benefit from regional and global trade. This, in turn, would create WT/REG451/M/1  
 
- 3 - 
 
  opportunities for growth, jobs and increasing living standards. As small island states, Pacific Island 
Countries face d a range of challenges, including small domestic markets,  narrow production bases, 
capacity constraints, as well as high trade and business costs. The Agreement helped support them 
to meet these challenges, including by providing a framework for increased predictability, 
transparency and stability in the regiona l business environment, especially in areas in which Pacific 
Island countries trade , and delivering targeted and responsive technical assistance to help them 
benefit from trade.  
1.17.  As noted by Samoa, Australia and New Zealand were the two largest PACER Plus e conomies 
in terms of GDP and trade in goods and services.  Australia was pleased, along with New Zealand, to 
have supported implementation of the Agreement through their overseas development assistance 
initiatives.  This complement ed Aid for Trade (A4T) initiatives through the WTO, and their 
international development partners, including for implementation of the  WTO Trade Facilitation 
Agreement.  They would have welcome d further technical assistance and collaboration between the 
WTO and PACER Plus Implementation Unit wherever appropriate.  
1.18.  In closing, Australia was pleased that the P arties were benefitting from the predictability and 
transparency the Agreement provided and  looked forward to working closely with the Parties,  
including after the general review .  
1.19.  The representative of the European Union  thanked the Parties for the presentations and 
wished them luck.  
1.20.  The representative of the United States  also thanked the Par ties and appreciated everything 
that had been shared that day.  
1.21.  The Chair noted the consideration of the Goods and Services Aspects of the  Pacific Agreement 
on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) , had allowed the Committee to clarify a number of 
questions and conclude oral discussion of the RTA in accordance with paragraph 11 of the 
Transparency Mechanism. Any delegations wishing to ask follow -up questions were invited to 
forward submissions in writing to the Secretariat by 15 April 2024 and the Parties were asked to 
submit replies in writing by no later than 29 April 2024. In accordance with paragraph 13 of the 
Transparency Mechanism all written submissions, as well as minutes of the meeting would be 
circulated promptly, in all WTO official languages, and made available in the WTO database on RTAs.  
1.22.  The Committee took note  of the comments made.  
__________