Fiji's trade minister, Faiyaz Koya, on Friday announced that a ban on certain PNG food products had been lifted. Photo: RNZ / Alex Perrottet
Fiji says it will allow certain Papua New Guinea food products into the country, reversing a ban that has led to a deepening trade stoush.
For more than a year, Fiji has banned commercial imports of Ox & Palm corned beef, Trukai Rice and Lae Biscuit, due to biosecurity concerns.
That enraged Papua New Guinea, whose trade minister, Richard Maru, last week threatened to stop importing all goods from Fiji.
Mr Maru accused Fiji of being a dishonourable country, that had violated the spirit of Melanesian free trade agreements signed in the 1990s.
But in a statement on Friday night, Fiji's trade minister, Faiyaz Koya, announced that the pathway to import the products had been opened.
He said it followed discussions with the Biosecurity Authority and that he looked forward to working with Mr Maru to deepen trade ties.
