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Promote:Kiribati

Export from Kiribati

A short guide for companies selling from Kiribati: the export figures, the agreements and their limits, the main steps and who can help, each with its source.

1. What Kiribati sells, and who buys it

Top goods exports

2024

  1. 1. Crude coconut oil
  2. 2. Fish
  3. 3. Aviation fuel and other fuel
  4. 4. Sea cucumber (beche-de-mer)
  5. 5. Scrap metal
  6. 6. Crushed aluminum
  7. 7. Seaweed
  • The commodity table has no HS codes, so lines carry the Statistics Office's own names; catch-all and repair lines, 1.5 percent of exports, are not ranked. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • 2024 totals differ: A$12,877.01 thousand by commodity, A$12,877.29 thousand in the balance of trade and A$12,877.37 thousand by country, from re-exports (A$0.28 thousand) and Australia (A$0.08 thousand). Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • For 2023, the commodity and balance-of-trade tables give A$12,094.13 thousand, but the destinations-by-year table gives A$12,492.56 thousand; the commodity table's figure is used. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • Re-exports were 21.9 percent of 2024 exports, and aviation and other fuel is counted as a re-export. Check the origin of a line before you present it as made in Kiribati. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • Fish is counted as the Statistics Office reports it, at 28.3 percent of 2024 exports; license fees from foreign fleets are rent, not exports. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • Partners' reports of imports from Kiribati total US$118.9 million for 2024, led by Thailand, and miss the main buyers Malaysia and Naoero, so they are not used. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)

Source: Kiribati Statistics Office, international trade tables, 2024⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2024

Where the goods go

2024, share of goods exports

  • Malaysia38.5%
  • Japan23.7%
  • Naoero14.1%
  • Fiji11.6%
  • France4.6%
  • Hong Kong3.3%
  • South Korea1.1%
  • Other Asia1%
  • Shares use the country table's own 2024 total of A$12,877.37 thousand, which differs slightly from the other two tables' totals; re-exports are included. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • Naoero's A$1,814 thousand is almost all re-exports, per the table. Other America and other countries not elsewhere specified are left out of the ranking but stay in the total. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)
  • Table 2 labels A$134.07 thousand as other Asia, and shows it so; Table 5 of the same workbook lists Bangladesh at exactly that value. Source⁠ (opens in a new tab)

Source: Kiribati Statistics Office, international trade tables, 2024⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2024

2. What to look into next

Our reading

Promote:Global’s reading of the figures above, not a source’s statement, and not advice.

3. Trade agreements

What each arrangement can mean for a seller, and its limits. A preference is conditional: check the rules of origin before you quote.

  • Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus)

    Australia and New Zealand cut tariffs on goods from Pacific parties, so a seller can ship qualifying goods to both under the agreement.

    Rules-based preference, not unconditional market access; check the rules of origin and the importing country's schedule before you quote.

    Source: PACER Plus unit, What is PACER Plus, read November 2026⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026

  • Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA)

    A seller can claim preferential access in other party countries for qualifying goods.

    The Trade Promotion Division lists Kiribati as a party; whether partners apply PICTA tariffs to Kiribati goods was not established, so check with their customs.

    Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Trade Promotion Division page⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026

  • South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement (SPARTECA)

    Australia and New Zealand give preferential duty to qualifying goods made in Kiribati, without Kiribati cutting its own tariffs.

    Non-reciprocal preference; as of November 1, 2026, the Australian Border Force lists Kiribati as a party. Check the importing country's origin rules before you quote.

    Source: Australian Border Force, SPARTECA page, read November 2026⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026

  • Developing Countries Trading Scheme

    Kiribati is on the Comprehensive Preferences tier, which gives duty-free access to the United Kingdom for most goods.

    As of November 1, 2026, Kiribati is on the GOV.UK tier list published June 19, 2023; rules-based preference, so check origin rules and the list before you quote.

    Source: GOV.UK, Developing Countries Trading Scheme preference tiers⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of June 19, 2023

Show 3 more agreements

  • Everything But Arms (European Union Generalised System of Preferences)

    As a least-developed country, Kiribati has duty-free, quota-free access to the European Union under this scheme.

    As of November 1, 2026, Kiribati is on Annex IV of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012, and Regulation (EU) 2026/1395 lists it for Everything But Arms from January 1, 2027. Check origin rules before you quote.

    Source: European Union Publications Office, GSP Regulation 978/2012, Annex IV, 2025⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of January 1, 2025

  • Pacific-European Union Interim Economic Partnership Agreement

    Kiribati is not a party, so its sellers rely on Everything But Arms for duty-free access to the European Union.

    The Trade Promotion Division says Kiribati is considering accession; no accession was found as of November 1, 2026.

    Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Trade Promotion Division page⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026

  • United Kingdom-Pacific States Economic Partnership Agreement

    Kiribati is not named, so the agreement gives a Kiribati seller no preference; the Developing Countries Trading Scheme applies instead.

    As of November 1, 2026, the GOV.UK list of agreements in effect names no entry for Kiribati; check it again before you quote.

    Source: GOV.UK, United Kingdom trade agreements in effect⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026

4. Steps to export

The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.

Exporting from Kiribati

  1. If you export fish, get a license for your fish processing establishment.Kiribati Seafood Verification AgencyOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Government of Kiribati, Fish Export Regulations 2012⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2012

  2. Get an export certificate for each fish consignment before you ship.Kiribati Seafood Verification AgencyOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Government of Kiribati, Fish Export Regulations 2012⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2012

  3. Check the national quality policy your goods must meet.Quality Promotion DivisionOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: Kiribati commerce ministry, Quality Promotion Division page⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of November 1, 2026

  4. Make an export entry with Customs, then take the goods to a customs area.Kiribati Customs Administration and EnforcementOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: WIPO Lex, Kiribati Customs Act 2019 (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2019

Show 1 more export step
  1. Ask the Comptroller of Customs for a certificate of origin if you claim a trade agreement preference.Kiribati Customs Administration and EnforcementOfficial page⁠ (opens in a new tab)

    Source: WIPO Lex, Kiribati Customs Act 2019 (in French)⁠ (opens in a new tab) · as of 2019

5. Organizations that help exporters

Start with Trade Promotion Division and Kiribati Customs. Each card links to the organization’s own site.

Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets

Export development and market information

Show 4 more organizations

Customs and tax

Standards and sector requirements

Chambers and industry associations

6. Worth knowing

Show 1 more

7. How Promote:Global helps

  • Compare potential export marketsSee which markets import what you sell, ranked on public trade data, and read each country before you commit.
  • Check duties and document requirementsCheck the duty, the origin conditions for a preferential rate and the documents a shipment needs.
  • Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
  • Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.

Turn this guide into your Kiribati project.

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Promote:Kiribati is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.

Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of November 1, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.