Distance a challenge in Fiji-Sino trade: FTIB

June 02, 2009 06:59:44 PM

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Distance is going to be a challenge in the development of trade relations between Fiji and China, said Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau chief executive officer Annie Rogers. 

Speaking to FijiLive at today’s Sino-Fiji workshop on Business and Investment Cooperation in Suva, Rogers said the tyranny of distance would have been the reason why Fiji’s exports to China has dropped. 

“I think the challenge, if anything, would be the distance between our countries.  That may be an obstacle and to some extent, may be why our exports are not so high whereas imports from China is quite substantial. We have a huge trade deficit,” Rogers said. 

Fiji’s exports to China, she added, had fallen from close to $6 million in 2008 to around $4 million.

She said there are hopes that the devaluation of the Fiji dollar this year would help boost that figure.

But even with the challenges of distance, Rogers said China was still an important market that could offer much to Fiji.

“I think the positive here is, despite the very trying times with the global economic recession, China is growing very strongly.

“These are the types of countries that we really need to market ourselves better in given that they are growing while other countries are contracting,” she said. 

Rogers was officiating at the Sino-Fiji workshop, which involved 60 business and government officials from China and members of Fiji’s business community. 

The Chinese delegation arrived in Fiji yesterday after holding talks with Australian counterparts in Brisbane last week.