Suva, Fiji – 3 June 2026 – The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) Trade Team successfully convened its 2026 Aid-for-Trade Day in Suva, Fiji, bringing together a full room of participants over 100 participants from both trade and gender officials across Forum Island Countries. Held ahead of the Forum Trade Officials Meeting (FTOM) and Pacific ACP Trade Officials Meeting (PACPTOM), the event provided a timely platform to review progress and priorities under the Pacific Aid-for-Trade Strategy 2026-2030.
E-commerce was a central focus of the day, reflecting its growing importance in driving inclusive and resilient growth across the Pacific. The Pacific E-commerce Coordinator presented key achievements from the past year, highlighting continued progress in implementing the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap, with the overall implementation rate reaching 34%.
Important milestones from PIFS regional work included the expansion of MSME support through programs such as the E-Biz Plus, ongoing development of national e-commerce strategies, and delivery of regional training initiatives, including the E-commerce Rules Course for policymakers. Progress was also reported on monitoring tools like the ePulse program and strengthening regional collaboration through the Pacific E-commerce Alliance.
Kiribati also shared country-level experiences on the implementation of E-Biz, highlighting how these initiatives are supporting local businesses and strengthening digital readiness.
Discussions throughout the day emphasised the strong link between e-commerce and inclusive development, with a focus on expanding opportunities for women, youth, and MSMEs. The joint participation of trade and gender officials further reinforced the importance of integrating gender equality and social inclusion across all Aid-for-Trade initiatives.
The program also covered other regional initiatives, including quality infrastructure, trade facilitation, and value chains (honey and kava).
Looking ahead, PIFS will continue to scale up its e-commerce work through a series of key activities, including the organisation of the Pacific E-commerce Symposium, which will bring together policymakers, private sector actors, and development partners to strengthen collaboration and accelerate implementation across the region. Additional priorities include expanding MSME support to more countries, delivering further training programmes, and advancing national and regional strategies.
With strong engagement and clear momentum, the 2026 Aid-for-Trade Day reaffirmed the Pacific’s commitment to advancing its digital trade agenda and scaling the impact of e-commerce in the year ahead.
