Tri-Marine CEO Emphasizes Importance of American Samoa Being Included in FTA with EU
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [PACNews] By Fili Sagapolutele - January 27, 2015 -
PAGOPAGO, Speaking during the inauguration' of the company's Samoa Tuna Processors Inc., $70 million state-of-the art cannery plant in Atu'u, Tri Marine International chief executive officer Renato Curto said that while its tuna product's main export with duty free excess is the U.S., there are other markets, like the EU, which is currently undergoing free trade agreement negotiations with the U.S.
He is hopeful that during these negotiations, American Samoa will be included as a qualified producer U.S. territory, so that canned tuna products produced in the territory can get free access to European markets.
If the territory is excluded, it 'will create for us a new power competitor which will be added to the list of strong competitors that we already have' ' such as countries like Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, China and Thailand ' with their 'lower costs for labor, packaging materials and energy.'
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