Pacific exporters are being urged to make their voices count as Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) opens the 2026 Pacific Islands Export Survey, the region’s only longitudinal study tracking exporter confidence and performance across the Blue Pacific.
Click the graphic to go to the survey.
Launched on 2 March 2026, the survey invites goods and services exporters — including tourism operators — from the sixteen member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum to contribute insights that will inform regional trade and economic policy. Conducted every two years since 2014, the survey has built more than a decade of primary data on exporter performance, barriers and emerging opportunities in a region where comprehensive private sector statistics remain limited.
The timing is deliberate. Global trade conditions are increasingly shaped by evolving tariff settings, geopolitical competition, freight volatility, labour constraints and climate-related pressures. For Pacific firms operating in small, dispersed markets, these forces can significantly affect competitiveness and growth prospects.
PTI Network General Manager Caleb Jarvis said strong participation would be critical to ensuring business perspectives are reflected in regional trade and economic discussions.
“As a PTI Network, our role is to bridge the gap between Pacific businesses and international markets – and to ensure the realities exporters and tourism operators are navigating are visible in the conversations shaping trade and economic priorities. The Export Survey is one of the few region-wide evidence bases that captures this sentiment consistently over time.
“In 2024, participating businesses identified freight costs, market access constraints and labour shortages as among the most significant barriers to growth. Strong participation in 2026 – across all operators, big and small – will ensure the evidence reflects the breadth of business conditions across our region and strengthens the case for practical, targeted support.”
Recognising tourism as a core services export, the survey explicitly includes businesses selling to international visitors. The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, is mobile-friendly, and offers participants entry into a draw to win one of three iPhone 16 devices.
Founded in 1979, PTI operates as an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, facilitating trade, investment and export capability development across the Blue Pacific.
Pacific Trade Invest Australia is a member of the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council.
