22/08/24 (Agence Europe) – As part of the implementation of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the Pacific Islands, signed in 2009, Fiji decided on Tuesday 20 August to start eliminating tariffs and tariff quotas on imports from the EU. This country only decided to start applying the Agreement in 2014. For its part, the EU already imports all products from Fiji without tariffs, as agreed in the Agreement. However, in this new phase of trade liberalisation, Suva is maintaining tariffs on certain products, particularly agricultural products, to protect the development of its local value chains. The EU welcomed the announcement, which it said would “ensure that cheaper inputs are available for products made in Fiji”. (LM)