Solomon Islands eyes more trade with Indonesia
Quoting Radio New Zealand � 1 April 2019
�Solomon Islands is looking at expanding trade with Indonesia, including ports in Papua.
�It came after trade talks held between Indonesia and several Pacific Island nations last week in Jakarta.
�Colin Beck, a permanent secretary with the Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry, said his government wanted to open port-to-port trade in Indonesia.
"Some of the ports we are looking at is basically having direct links to some of the provinces that are closer to the Pacific."
�Colin Beck said Solomon Islands was also open to a trade deal with Indonesia.
�At the inaugural Indonesia South Pacific Forum in Jakarta, Fiji and Papua New Guinea started negotiations with Indonesia on a preferential trade deal.
�The Solomon Islands exported $US785,000 worth of good to Indonesia in 2017, mostly in animal feed, according to the latest available figures from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
�Imports from Indonesia totalled $US27.8 million.�
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