The Vanuatu Trade Policy Framework, approved by the Council of Minsters (COM) with decision 99/2012, is the government’s road map for trade development. VAMU coordinates the monitoring of the Vanuatu Trade Policy Framework, is responsible for the updating and advocates trade perspectives in the drafting of other government policies.

The Trade Policy Framework Update 2019-2025 (TPFU) is a multi-sectoral policy that assesses the factors constraining Vanuatu’s trade competitiveness and propose recommendations to address those constraints. A soft copy is available here .

At the policy level, VAMU, as the secretariat of the National Trade Development Committee (NTDC) is mandated to carry out the monitoring and implementation of the Trade Policy Framework 2019-2025 (TPF), using the TPF matrix.

Following the directions from the Prime Minister Office, VAMU drafted the Post Disaster Needs Assessment and the recovery strategy for the productive sector. The division carefully aligned the recovery strategy to the TPFU, ensuring that today’s priorities are embedded in the development framework for trade, commerce and the productive sector. The documents are available online:

• The Post Disaster Needs Assessment Summary Report
• The Post Disaster Needs Assessment Sector Reports: Disaster Effects and Recovery Needs
• The Vanuatu Recovery Strategy

VAMU continues its engagement with the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and Multilateral Trade Agreement (MTA) policies affecting imports, exports production and foreign investments. Several Working Groups (WG) have established such as the Trade Negotiation WG, Trade Facilitation WG, Public Private WG, Program Implementaion Task Force in support to these policies which VAMU is a member to.

VAMU in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM), worked over the design and the implementation of a copra subsidy.