Kiribati

Kiribati is a beneficiary of the EU's "Everything but Arms" (EBA) scheme for least developed countries. Kiribati is classified a lower-middle income country by the World Bank and maintains a per-capita income of $ 2.810 (2022). Overall EU imports from Kiribati amounted to € 133.000 in 2022, 25% less compared to 2020. Ther country did not make use of EBA preferences in 2022.

What is the EBA?

The “Everything but Arms”(EBA) scheme is a permanent arrangement covering Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) as classified by the United Nations. This arrangement enables duty-free and quota-free access for all products (7200 products in total) originating in LDC’s except for arms and ammunition. Different from the Standard GSP and GSP+, LDC’s are not excluded from the scheme if they benefit from other preferential arrangements.

Kiribati flag

At a glance: EBA beneficiaries' preferential imports to the EU

group

131,23 K

Population

account_balance
Presidential Republic

Government

trending_up

1.60%

GDP Growth

equalizer

3.50%

Inflation

money

$ 223,35 M

GDP

90 v

Freedomhouse index

- -

ITUC Global Rights Index

49 ^

Environmental Performance Index

Facts about Kiribati's economy

Island Economy

Kiribati is a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean in between Hawaii and Australia. Similar to other small island nations, Kiribati faces a series of challenges including the vulnerability to climate change, a highly dispersed population, difficult access to international markets as well as low domestic resources and a lack of arable land

Export Products

Kiribati's top export products are frozen fish (skipjack, tuna), fishing vessels and crude coconut oil.

Trade Partners

Kiribati's most important trading partners are Indonesia, Australia, and Fiji which together account for about 66% of overall trade. Most imports, about 18.1%, originate from Australia, while Indonesia is the most important export market for products from Kiribati, followed by Japan.

Economic Structure

Kiribati's economy is dominated by the services sector, which, driven mainly by public services, contributes the majority to the country's income. On the industrial side dominate fishing and sea salt production as well as clothing, furniture, and beverages. Those products mainly supply the domestic market.

Usage of EBA Preferences

Kiribati did not take advantage of the EBA scheme in 2021 and 2022.

Trade with the EU

Total trade with the EU amounted to € 5.2 million in 2021. With a share of 1% of total trade, the EU only plays a minor role in Kiribati's trade relations.

Kiribati and the EU (2022)

Imports from Kiribati by product section

Imports from Kiribati over time (in € m)

KIRIBATI AND THE EU’s GSP

Economic Impact

77%

A considerable portion of Kiribati's exports to the European market are eligible for preferences granted by the EU's EBA arrangement.

0.00%

Kiribati did not take advantage of EBA preferences in 2021 and 2022.

Preference utilisation and export diversification

Kiribati's imports to the EU

Preference Utilisation vs. total eligible imports

The preference utilisation rate of Kiribati shows quite some fluctuations over the past years and stood at zero in 2015 and 2016. Together with an improving utilisation of preferences, total imports from Kiribati increased by almost 50% since 2016. In 2020, the preference utilisation rate stood at 89.4%.

The largest product sections under EBA

Kiribati’s product range traded using EBA preferences is limited to only fish products, as well as vehicles and machinery. The total number of traded product sections has been decreasing since 2016, suggesting that the positive developments following the GSP reform have come to a halt.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

As a beneficiary of the EBA scheme, Kiribati's preferential access to the EU market is not conditional on the ratification of international conventions. Still, Kiribati has ratified 3 fundamental UN human rights conventions as well as all 8 core ILO conventions on the protection of labour rights. Moreover, Kiribati has ratified 7 international conventions on the protection of the environment and the UN Convention against Corruption.

Core international conventions on human rights and labour standards

Ratified

  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981)
  • Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987)
  • Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990)
  • Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, No 29 (1930)
  • Convention concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, No 87 (1948)
  • Convention concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively, No 98 (1949)
  • Convention concerning Equal Remuneration of Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value, No 100 (1951)
  • Convention concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, No 105 (1957)
  • Convention concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation, No 111 (1958)
  • Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, No 138 (1973)
  • Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, No 182 (1999)

Not Ratified

  • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)
  • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1969)
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976)
  • International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (1976)

Additional Conventions

  • Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987)
  • Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989)
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
  • The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992)
  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2000)
  • Stockholm Convention on persistent Organic Pollutants (2001)
  • Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1998)
  • United Nations Convention against Corruption (2004)

EU-Kiribati Bilateral Development Assistance

DG INTPA

Access all info about EU-Pacific Islands Countries relations on the International Partnerships website: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/pacific-islands-countries_en

Opportunities in Kiribati

  • Renewable energy is the focal sector of Kiribati and various other countries in the Pacific region. Kiribati is currently working on an investment plan to increase the usage of biofuels and coconut oil (CNO) in the transport and power sectors. Part of the investment plan is to establish fuel standards and a facility to test CNO-based biofuel.
  • Kiribati is also working to reduce the transport costs of coconuts from plantations through mobile copra mills.

Contact points