Minister Ditoka Advances Fiji-Australia Trade And Investment Cooperation

Melbourne, Australia – The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka, yesterday (10.06.2026) held a productive bilateral meeting with Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, Hon. Don Farrell, Deputy Secretary of the Australian Trade and Investment Group, Mr. George Mina, and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), Dr. Paul Grimes.

The meeting reaffirmed the strength of the Fiji–Australia economic partnership and identified new opportunities to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, supply chain resilience, infrastructure development, and economic diversification.

Minister Ditoka expressed appreciation to Minister Farrell for inviting Fiji to participate in Australia’s Ministerial Council on Trade and Investment, noting that Fiji’s participation reflects the growing importance of Pacific voices in shaping regional economic discussions.

A key focus of the discussions was strengthening regional supply chain resilience and economic security. Minister Ditoka welcomed Australia’s recent Strategic Reserve initiative, describing it as a forward-looking measure that will enhance resilience against global supply disruptions and contribute to greater stability across the Indo-Pacific region.

The Ministers discussed opportunities to build on existing cooperation, including collaboration on critical supply chains, energy security, logistics, and broader economic resilience initiatives.

Minister Ditoka and Minister Farrell also acknowledged the importance of ensuring reliable access to fuel and other critical commodities in an increasingly uncertain global environment, noting ongoing efforts to strengthen fuel security and supply chain resilience across the region.
Minister Ditoka highlighted Fiji’s continued commitment to creating a stable, transparent, and business-friendly environment for investors through ongoing reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business, streamlining regulatory processes, facilitating trade, and supporting private sector growth through investments.

Australia remains Fiji’s largest trading partner and one of its most significant sources of foreign direct investment. The meeting recognised the important contribution Australian businesses continue to make across tourism, manufacturing, financial services, telecommunications, renewable energy, infrastructure, and professional services.

The discussions also explored opportunities to increase Australian investment in sectors aligned with Fiji’s national development priorities, including renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, agribusiness, digital services, business process outsourcing, logistics, maritime services, and value-added manufacturing.

Discussions also focused on the PACER Plus Agreement and broader regional economic integration initiatives. Minister Ditoka sought Australia’s perspective on the tangible benefits available to Fiji under PACER Plus and how the Agreement would support Fiji’s national development objectives, economic diversification, and private sector competitiveness. Minister Farrell and Australian officials reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Fiji through technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives, including convening a Senior Officials Meeting in November 2026, to help Fiji better understand and leverage opportunities under the Agreement.

The meeting further discussed the recently announced Quad Ports of the Future Partnership. Minister Ditoka welcomed the initiative and noted its potential to support Fiji’s ambition to strengthen its role as a regional transport, logistics, and trade hub through modern, resilient, and sustainable port infrastructure.

The Ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining close engagement between Fiji and Australia to advance shared economic priorities, strengthen regional connectivity, support private sector-led growth, and enhance resilience to future global shocks.

Minister Ditoka also participated in a ministerial networking engagement attended by Trade Minister and senior representatives from across Australia and the region. This includes State Officials of Victoria and ACT. The engagement provided an opportunity to exchange views on global trade developments, strengthen relationships with key partners, and discuss opportunities to advance trade, investment, and economic cooperation.