FIT Partnership expands to 19 members as ministers sign trade resilience declarations in Auckland
Korea, Peru and Thailand joined the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership at its second ministerial meeting in Auckland on 17 July 2026, where ministers issued declarations on economic resilience and trade digitisation, and eight members signed a non-tariff barriers arrangement.
- FIT Partnership welcomes Korea, Peru and Thailand, taking total membership to 19 countries.
- Thirteen ministers back declaration on economic resilience; 14 back trade digitisation declaration.
- Eight members join plurilateral arrangement on cooperation on non-tariff barriers.
The Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership expanded to 19 member countries at its second ministerial meeting, held in Auckland, New Zealand on Friday, 17 July 2026.
The grouping welcomed Korea, Peru and Thailand as new members during the Auckland meeting. According to the joint press release issued by the participating ministers, the growing membership reflects the interest generated by the partnership and its positive trade agenda.
That agenda, the release stated, supports economies to navigate uncertainty while remaining open and connected.
The meeting follows the inaugural FIT Partnership ministerial meeting held in Singapore in November 2025.
A grouping of trade-dependent economies
The FIT Partnership brings together ministers and representatives from small and medium sized, trade-dependent countries. All members are described in the joint release as committed to open and fair trade.
Its 19 members are Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Costa Rica, Iceland, Korea, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
Ministers agreed on what the release described as a forward-looking set of outcomes intended to strengthen economic resilience, accelerate digital trade, reduce barriers and advance practical cooperation.
Declaration on economic resilience
Thirteen ministers issued a Ministerial Declaration on Promoting Economic Resilience to Address Economic Security Risks.
The signatories were ministers from Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Costa Rica, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
The declaration underscored what the release described as a shared commitment to strengthening resilience while preserving open markets and avoiding unnecessary restrictions on trade.
Declaration on digitisation of trade documents
A larger group of 14 ministers issued a Ministerial Declaration on Facilitating the Digitisation of Trade Processes and Documents.
Those signatories were ministers from Chile, Costa Rica, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
The declaration focuses on encouraging the adoption of international standards and interoperable systems. The stated aim is to make trade faster, simpler and more secure.
Plurilateral arrangement on non-tariff barriers
Eight ministers joined a Plurilateral Arrangement relating to Cooperation on Non-tariff Barriers (NTBs).
The participants were Chile, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Singapore and Uruguay.
According to the release, the arrangement provides a framework for members to take practical steps to tackle trade barriers and strengthen their trading positions.
Future work agenda
Ministers also agreed on the future work of the FIT Partnership. This includes addressing what the release termed contemporary subsidies issues.
Further work will focus on strengthening the transparency, predictability and fairness of the rules-based trading system.
Ministers additionally agreed to build on ongoing work on supply chain resilience, with the stated intention of advancing practical and concrete cooperation.
Pacific guests and business engagement
FIT Partnership ministers were joined by counterparts from Fiji and Samoa. The two countries attended as New Zealand's guests from the Pacific region for the second ministerial meeting.
Ministers and representatives committed to maintaining strong momentum through the partnership's action-oriented agenda.
The release stated that ministers emphasised the importance of the partnership having real world impact by closely engaging relevant stakeholders.
To that end, ministers engaged with a number of New Zealand business leaders, including through a panel discussion, as representatives of that stakeholder group.
New Zealand acknowledged the United Arab Emirates for taking on the role of Coordinating Chair of the FIT Partnership later in the year.
The third FIT Partnership Ministerial Meeting is planned for early 2027 in the United Arab Emirates.
