THE United States has been urged to negotiate free trade agreements with Pacific countries and extend duty-free treatment to certain goods imported from the region.
Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii said Washington needed strengthen its economic diplomacy with island countries to protect its regional posture.
Case has introduced a bill to the US House of Representatives which aims to use preferential treatment to counter what he describes as China’s growing influence in the island region.
“The Pacific islands, spread across the vast Pacific Ocean, are key partners in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and strengthening mutual economic, security and cultural ties across countries sharing mutual values and goals,” Case said.
Tuna, cane sugar, ginger and taro are among the Pacific islands’ top exports to the US and would be eligible for duty-free treatment. There is no indication at this stage whether kava (yaqona) would fall in this category. Kava is a rising export from the Pacific to the US.
The proposed legislation is known as H.R. 6619 or the Promoting Regional Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity and Economic Resilience in the Pacific (PROSPER) Act.
Case said the proposed legislation aligned with the U.S-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s 2025 annual report, which advised Congress to bolster economic assistance to Pacific countries.
This would “support U.S national security interests and the priorities of partner countries.”
The bill, Case said, took a cue from the Pacific Islands Forum’s priority need to build trade capacity and infrastructure.
The PROSPER Act would extend duty-free treatment to certain goods imported from eligible Pacific islands in the same manner afforded to least-developed beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of Preferences of GSP.
Several Pacific Island countries enjoyed preferential treatment under the GSP until the programme lapsed in 2020.
The PROSPER Act directs the US president to develop a plan to negotiate free trade agreements with island governments and create a dedicated trade facilitation and capacity-building program to promote inclusive economic development, create sustainable job opportunities, and improve standards of living in the region.