About Us

About Department

Tuvalu, a small Pacific Island country (estimated population is 11,000 and a total land area of 26 square kilometers) faces all constraints of smallness, remoteness, vulnerability to climate change, and natural disasters.The poor quality of soil and supply of freshwater limit trade opportunities for Tuvalu while sea level rise and increasing intensity and frequency of cyclones tend to reduce the sustainability of long-term investments. The economic potential is constrained by the lack of natural resources; small domestic market and underdeveloped private sector; geographical fragmentation across nine islands and atolls; difficult and expensive access to major international markets; and high inter-island transport costs.
The country is heavily dependent on imports, mainly food, fuel, building materials, medicine, medical equipment, and consumer products. It has very few items to export due to its limited resource and other challenges. Efforts were made to become an exporting country but were not sustained due to a lack of capacity in the private sector and the department.
The Department of Trade through the Trade Policy Framework (TPF 2016) and Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS 2016) is engaged in bilateral and regional trade negotiations with its regional partners. It is also working with productive sectors to build supply capacities in priority sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and labour mobility. Trade as an engine for growth should help increase the capacity of the country to achieve sustainability and prosperity, even though trade options and diversification are limited

Foreword

The Department of Trade (DOT) is the country’s focal entity for trade sector development mainly responsible for trade promotion and development, trade negotiations, trade facilitation, formulation and implementation of trade-related policies, public information, and capacity building on trade matters. The core functions for the department are meant to contribute to the national development agenda, particularly private sector development and economic growth. This is done by mainstreaming trade in all development-related activities across the key productive sectors of the economy – mainly agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and labor mobility, identified as the priority export sectors in the Trade Policy Framework (TPF 2016) and Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS 2016).

Implementation of the Trade Policy, the DTIS Action Matrix, the PACER Plus development assistance work program, and mobilization of Aid for Trade also fall within the department’s remit. The department is also responsible for coordinating EIF program activities in the country, implementing EIF Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects, and liaising with the stakeholders (private sector, outer islands, development partners, etc.) in trade and development matters.

Approach

Our services

Capacity-Building

Build institutional and staff capacity for the Department of Trade and stakeholders

Trade Negotiations

Participate in trade negotiations to expand and improve market access opportunities for Tuvalu products (goods and services) through negotiating /implementing key bi-laterally/regional trade agreements

Implement Trade Policy Framework

Implements the Trade Policy Framework (TPF 2016) and the Diagnostic Integration Study (DTIS 2016)

Build supply-side capacity

Strengthen supply-side capacity of targeted Focal Areas (Agriculture, Fisheries, Tourism, and Labor Mobility) through specific trade-related intervention under the Enhance Integrated Framework (EIF) and other Aid for Trade programs

Enhance stakeholder's contribution in trade

Enhance stakeholders’ coordination in trade (carry out stakeholders’ awareness and information dissemination on trade activities and trade opportunities