Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations

The PACER legal text is available for download.

PACER is an umbrella agreement providing a framework for future development of trade cooperation between the Forum Island Countries, Australia and New Zealand. At present, PACER does not contain any agreement on reduced tariffs, although the eventual aim is to incorporate agreements on goods and services in the future. So far, PACER has focused on technical and financial assistance provided by Australia and New Zealand to the island member countries in areas such as trade facilitation and promotion.

Signatory countries are committed to begin consultation with a view to the negotiation of a free-trade component of PACER by 2011 at the latest, or earlier if they begin formal negotiation of a free-trade agreement with another developed country partner.