Brussels, 29 October 2018 /ACP/: Papua New Guinea has taken steps to strengthen and deepen its Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU and other ACP states that have similar trading arrangements.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Rimbink Pato who attended the ACP-EU Joint Ministerial Trade Meeting in Brussels, Belgium on 26 October 2018, signed the ACP Administrative Cooperation Agreement (ACA), making it possible for Papua New Guinea to enter into intra-ACP trade relations with the cumulation of the rules of origin.

Under this WTO multilateral trading rules, countries within the same Trade Agreement region could cumulate rules of origin.

Minister Pato said the ACA would give Papua New Guinea the benefit of using raw or semi-produced goods from other ACP countries that have Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with EU and exporting them as finished products from PNG to countries covered by the EU EPA.

Similarly, other ACP states could buy raw or semi produced materials from PNG and further add value and trade them as final products from their countries.

Photo: (Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Rimbink Pato signs the Administrative Cooperation Agreement witnessed by the Secretary General for ACP, HE Dr. Patrick Gomes (right) and Papua New Guinea’s Ambassador to the European Union and the ACP, HE Mr. Joshua R. Kalinoe.)

ACP Press