WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 02: U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Touting the event as “Liberation Day”, Trump is expected to announce additional tariffs targeting goods imported to the U.S. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
US President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event at the White House on 2 April, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo: CHIP SOMODEVILLA / Getty Images via AFP
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has admitted that his government was not ready for Donald Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs' unveiled at the White Hoiuse on Thursday.
The United States will impose a base tariff of 10 percent on all foreign imports, with rates between 20 and 50 percent, for countries - and territories - judged to have major tariffs on US goods.
Rabuka told The Fiji Times that his government "did not see it coming", but added, "now that it has come, we have to make very, very tough decisions".
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"The world is bigger than the United States, so we will have to look at new sources of imports and new markets for our exports." Rabuka was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
He said Fiji was fortunate that it had "a lot of friendly nations around the world" that trade with the country.
"We don't have anything to counter with so we will have to weather the storm and roll with the punches."
He has asked local businesses trading with the US to not be discouraged, the report said.
"There are other markets out there and the world. Fiji government will spare no effort in going out and getting those markets established or re-established."
In a statement on Thursday, the Fijian government said it was actively engaging with its US counterparts through diplomatic and trade channels to seek clarity on these measures and explore options to mitigate their impact.
It said it wants to understand how the 63 percent tariff charged on the US, including currency manipulation and trade barriers, was calculated by the Trump administration.
The statement said Fiji imposes import duties of less than two persent on average on all US imports.
Fijian products such as mineral water, kava, fish, sugar confectionery, and wood artifacts are key exports to the US, according to the country's Finance Minister Biman Prasad.
He said Fiji imports vital goods like medical equipment, aircraft parts, and machinery from the US.
"The imposition of a 32 percent across the board tariff on Fijian exports into USA is quite disproportionate and unfair," he said.
Trump tariffs on other Pacific Island countries and territories:
Papua New Guinea - 10% tarrifs
Nauru - 30%
Vanuatu - 22%
Marshall Islands - 10%
French Polynesia - 10%
Samoa - 10%
Tonga - 10%
Micronesia (FSM) - 10%
Solomon Islands - 10%
Cook Islands - 10%
Kiribati - 10%
Norfolk Islands - 29%
Tuvalu - 10%
Tokelau - 10%