On 14 June 2017, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) announced that Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Keith Pitt, signed the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus) at the ceremony in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. The signing comes after negotiations concluded in Brisbane in April.
PACER Plus is a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) covering goods, services and investment. The 14 June signing included Australia, New Zealand and eight Pacific island countries – Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
