17 Oct 2007

Entry permit system of Samoa and American Samoa viewed as a barrier

12:13 pm on 17 October 2007

The entry permit system of Samoa and American Samoa is being viewed as a barrier for trade between the two sides.

The President of the Samoa Association of Exporters and Manufacturers, Papalii Grant Percival, says their last trade fair in Pago Pago two years ago resulted in three Samoan companies establishing solid markets for their products.

However, he says immigration rules and customs duties are still impediments to their growth.

"We would like to see those barriers removed, we would like to see immigration barriers removed, there is a lot of opportunities for a services to improve between the two countries, there is some services you provide here that we do not have a specification of in Samoa and there is some services provided in Samoa that you could probably access from here more readily. It's just an opportunity to improve our economic integration."

The President of the Samoa Association of Exporters and Manufacturers, Papalii Grant Percival.