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Pushing Samoa made products in the Chinese market

Cans of Savaii Popo Palusami
Source: Samoa Govt media release

Apia, SAMOA — The Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, is targeting the 3rd China-Pacific Forum in Apia from the 19th to 21st October 2019, to announce Samoa’s plans to increase its exports to $300m by 2025 and establish Samoa as the major Pacific Export Hub for Fish and Agricultural exports to China and the world.

The Prime Minister will officially open the “Buy Samoa Made Export-to China Exhibition” to be held at the Mezzanine Floor of the Sheraton Aggies Hotel in Apia on Monday 21st October 2019 from 2pm to 7pm. The opening is expected to be attended by visiting delegates of the Forum and some 200 Companies including the CEO of Alibaba, as well as the media –including CCTV.

Samoa Export Plan to achieve $100m in exports by 2020

According to the SAME President-Tagaloa Eddie Wilson, there has been a significant improvement in the performance of the export sector over the last three years.  At the time of launching the SAME-Samoa Export plan 2016-2020 in December 2016 domestic exports stood at approximately $35m a year. The Government of Samoa and SAME then launched the Samoa Export Plan 2016-2020 with the objective of achieving $100m in domestic exports by December 2020.

As at July 2019 domestic exports were close to $90m on an annual basis. “On present levels of monthly exports we would expect to achieve our objective of $100m by December 2019,” according to SAME. In confirming the continuing growth in exports in the first seven months of 2019, domestic exports are 78% ahead of the same period in 2018, based on the Central bank of Samoa reports.

The substance of that growth comes from agricultural and fish exports.  In addition to the growth in exports, Samoa is also seeing a degree of diversification towards markets such as China, Korea and USA, as well as traditional markets as New Zealand and Australia.

Samoa’s growth comes significantly from improving standards and the certification production processes to international standards, such HACCP and ISO Certification – a very necessary requirement to enter export markets and comply with bio security requirements at the border.

With the success of Samoa exports, the Samoa Government in partnership with SAME  will announce that at the Exhibition, the planned launch of the Samoa Export Plan II – in early 2020 targeting a further increase in Samoa Exports a further 3 fold to $300m by 2025.

Two countries co-operation Agreement with China

The Prime Minister stated that this ambitious target will only be achieved with the support of our trading partners. One of the key outcomes of the Forum is the signing of an agreement with China to strengthen the 2 countries co-operation –which clearly demonstrates the support of both governments in building success based on mutual cooperation.

Regional Trade agreements such as PICTA and Pacer Plus- are also poised to further enhance Samoa’s capacity to increase exports.

The Governments Plans to establish a commercially viable Port/Hub at its Industrial area at Vaitele- to increase shipping services for Traders and Exporters – thus contributing to enhancing Samoa’s competitiveness in global exports market.