Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Rimbink Pato, who attended the ACP-EU Joint Ministerial Trade Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on 26 October, signed the ACP Administrative Cooperation Agreement (ACA).

This makes it possible for PNG to enter into intra-ACP trade relations with the cumulation of the rules of origin.

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

The EPA aims to consolidate on forty-two years of diplomatic relations between both countries.

Minister for National Planning, Richard Maru, said the decision to enter an economic partnership is a result of India’s recognition that PNG has much business and other opportunities for Indian businesses and the people of India.