Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat
Excelling together towards a progressive and prosperous Melanesia
MSG TRADE
MSG Trade
The Melanesian Free Trade Agreement (MFTA) is a comprehensive and progressive free trade agreement that aims to achieve regional integration of economies in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The regional market offers opportunities for:
Trade in Goods
Trade in Goods : – allows free trade on products traded within the MSG countries, with the exception of sugar, salt and mackerel on products subject to meeting the rules of origin criteria. The ROOs criterion are goods wholly obtained, Change in Tariff Heading, Regional Value Addition and Cumulation.
Trade in Services
Trade in Services: – opportunities for trade in services and investment particularly in sectors of importance to achieve development agendas of MSG parties
Labour Mobility
Labour Mobility: encourages movement of natural persons to fill skills shortages in the identified categories within MSG countries.
Other areas for negotiations in later years include government procurement and traditional knowledge. The institutional arrangements enable Members to establish committees to provide guidance to the operations of the MFTA.
The MSG comprise of 4 countries namely Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Since 2017, two countries have signed the MFTA and are taking steps to ratify the Agreement. Once the MFTA is ratified by all four MSG countries, it will replace the 2005 MSG Trade Agreement.