The Department of External Trade says 2026 will be an important year for trade, with a focus on growing the economy, supporting the private sector, and strengthening Vanuatu’s trade relationships overseas.

Director of the Department of External Trade, Joe Pakoa Lui, said the department will work in line with the government’s key policies, including the National Sustainable Development Plan and the Trade Policy Framework, to ensure that trade supports the country’s sustainable development.

In 2026, Vanuatu will continue to implement trade agreements the country has already signed, including PACER Plus, the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, and the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement, to open more markets for Vanuatu’s products and services.

“The department is working against policies such as the NSDP, and the goal toward 2030 is to see how much trade performance has increased, whether imports or exports. We want to see an increase in trade in goods and services overseas and investments coming into the country.”

One of the key focuses for the year is private sector development.

Through the second phase of the PACER Plus Development and Economic Cooperation Program, over 2 billion vatu will be available to support projects that strengthen trade, exports, and institutions that support businesses.

The department said every project will go through consultation and screening to ensure they meet the real trade needs of Vanuatu.

“The projects included under PACER Plus,we say thank you to New Zealand and Australia as co-founders and principal funders of the Development Economic Cooperation Facility of over 30 million AUD,will support member countries to develop projects that meet Vanuatu’s needs and other areas that require improvement so we can trade with Australia and New Zealand. These two countries are duty-free markets; we just need to improve the requirements to ensure our products are on the shelves in New Zealand and Australia.”

At the international level, Vanuatu will take part in several trade negotiations in 2026, including at the WTO, the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement Phase Two, and bilateral trade negotiations with China and New Caledonia.

The department said these negotiations are important to secure better market access and protect the country’s interests.