New FIT Partnership: 14 countries join forces against US tariffs

A strategically elusive group of 14 primarily smaller economies worldwide, many in #EmergingMarkets, have assembled to form the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership. Member countries include: *:Brunei * Chile * Costa Rica * Iceland * Liechtenstein * Morocco *:New Zealand * Norway * Panama * Rwanda * Singapore * Switzerland * United Arab Emirates (UAE), and * Uruguay Presumably, this collaboration of sorts is in response to the almost punishing new U.S. tariffs schedule initiated earlier this year. Details below. #GlobalBusiness

A new coalition of dynamic economies, led by Singapore, the UAE, and New Zealand, is set to launch the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FIT-P), a multiregional initiative aimed at bolstering rules-based trade and digital economy cooperation. The group is expected to include around ten countries spanning Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe, with potential members like Malaysia, Morocco, Rwanda, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, and Norway under consideration. FIT-P reflects a strategic push by small and medium-sized economies to shape global trade norms and build resilient, tech-forward partnerships. https://lnkd.in/dXxVNSUe #FITP #GlobalTrade #DigitalEconomy #TradePartnership #Singapore #UAE #NewZealand #SustainableGrowth #TradeInnovation #EmergingMarkets #MultilateralTrade #TheFinance360

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#TTPulse: 14 Nations launch Future of Investment and Trade Partnership to support open markets 🔸Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay have established the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership through a virtual Ministerial Meeting on 16th September 2025. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, also attended the launch. 🔸The initiative comes as the rules-based trading system faces growing pressure that risks fragmenting markets and slowing global growth. The partnership is designed to support open trade policies, especially for small, medium, and trade-dependent countries. 🔸The FIT Partnership will serve as a flexible and informal platform, bringing together public and private partners to address new challenges in three key areas: supply chain resilience, investment facilitation, and non-tariff barriers and trade facilitation, with trade technology as a supporting tool. 🔸The founding members released a joint statement outlining the Partnership's primary objectives, including maintaining open and fair trade, ensuring transparent and predictable trade policies, fostering equal opportunities for businesses, and promoting cross-border investment to drive economic growth. 🔸Singapore will host the first FIT Partnership Ministerial Meeting alongside the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore from 19-21 November 2025, where Ministers plan to announce specific initiatives. #tradepolicy #globaltrade #economiccooperation #FITPartnership #internationaltrade #investmentsupport

This announcement of the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership marks a significant and timely intervention in the evolving global trade landscape. At a moment when geopolitical fragmentation, economic nationalism, and the weaponization of trade threaten to undermine decades of progress under the multilateral rules-based system, the decision by 14 diverse nations—spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East—to come together under a collective framework is both visionary and pragmatic. The 'participating economies—Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, the UAE, and Uruguay—' reflect a forward-looking coalition of trade-dependent, small, and medium-sized countries that recognize their shared interest in keeping markets open, predictable, and rules-oriented. Their size does not diminish their global relevance; instead, it amplifies the principle that inclusivity, cooperation, and agility are vital in shaping the next generation of trade and investment norms. The **core pillars of the FIT Partnership—supply chain resilience, investment facilitation, and non-tariff barrier reduction—**speak directly to the vulnerabilities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and recent geopolitical conflicts. These priorities show a keen awareness that sustainable growth in the 21st century cannot be achieved through tariff-centric debates alone; rather, it requires tackling the "new frontiers" of trade—digitalization, logistics resilience, technology integration, and cross-border investment flows. Notably, the inclusion of trade technology as a supporting tool underscores the recognition that the digital transformation of trade—from blockchain-enabled customs processes to AI-driven supply chain monitoring—will be indispensable in ensuring transparency, reducing transaction costs, and enabling SMEs to participate in global value chains. Equally important is the partnership’s diplomatic architecture: deliberately informal, flexible, and multi-stakeholder. This design avoids the bureaucratic inertia that can stymie more formal institutions, while allowing for agility, experimentation, and inclusivity. Yet, it also complements and strengthens, rather than undermines, the World Trade Organization (WTO), as emphasized by the presence of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the launch. The upcoming Ministerial Meeting in Singapore (November 2025, alongside the Bloomberg New Economy Forum) will be a litmus test. It will need to translate the joint statement of intent into concrete initiatives—whether in digital trade protocols, climate-aligned investment standards, or innovative financing for supply chain resilience in vulnerable economies. If successful, the FIT Partnership could emerge as a blueprint for how middle-power and trade-dependent nations can safeguard openness and fairness in an increasingly polarized world.

The launch of the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership marks a defining moment in global economic cooperation—particularly in an era where trade fragmentation, geopolitical uncertainty, and shifting investment patterns increasingly threaten the stability of the multilateral system. The fact that 14 diverse nations—spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East—have coalesced around this initiative underscores both the urgency and the shared recognition that smaller, open, and trade-dependent economies cannot afford the luxury of isolationism. At its core, the FIT Partnership reflects a deliberate act of collective agency: smaller economies asserting their influence in shaping the rules, norms, and practices that will govern the next phase of global trade. The focus on supply chain resilience, investment facilitation, and non-tariff barriers speaks directly to the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate-related disruptions, and geopolitical shocks (such as the war in Ukraine and shifting U.S.–China dynamics) have all exposed the fragility of supply chains. Likewise, the proliferation of non-tariff barriers—often more restrictive than tariffs themselves—demands coordinated solutions to ensure predictability and fairness. Importantly, the FIT Partnership acknowledges technology as a trade enabler, positioning digitalization not as a peripheral tool but as a foundational driver of modern trade facilitation. In doing so, it aligns with broader debates at the WTO, OECD, and UNCTAD on how digital trade rules, data governance, and e-commerce can either reinforce inclusivity or exacerbate inequalities, depending on the governance structures adopted. The presence of WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at the launch lends symbolic and substantive weight to the initiative, signaling alignment with multilateral trade norms even as the FIT Partnership remains a flexible, informal platform. This “complementary multilateralism” could prove crucial in revitalizing faith in a rules-based system by showing that innovation and inclusivity can coexist with established institutions. Looking ahead, the first Ministerial Meeting in Singapore (November 2025) will be a litmus test: whether the FIT Partnership can move from rhetoric to concrete, measurable initiatives. Success will be determined by its ability to (a) reduce real-world frictions for SMEs, (b) catalyze cross-border investment flows into both emerging and established markets, and (c) institutionalize transparency and predictability in an era defined by uncertainty. In a world where polarization increasingly undermines cooperative frameworks, the FIT Partnership offers a timely, pragmatic, and forward-looking response—one that recognizes that the future of trade will not be safeguarded by the largest economies alone, but by coalitions of states willing to defend openness, fairness, and shared prosperity.

Small, medium-sized countries establish Future of Investment and Trade Partnership #bne #bneEditorsPicks #trade Fourteen countries have issued a joint declaration establishing the "Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership", a new international initiative committed to promoting open and fair trade, supporting inclusive growth and addressing contemporary and emerging trade issues, state news Emirates News Agency reported on September 17. The new grouping was announced at a virtual ministerial meeting attended by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, via Zoom.

Ng Xin-Yao shared that Singapore faces significant challenges to its economic model, primarily from a global trade system that is "showing cracks and fragmenting." He noted that the rise of bilateral relationships over multilateralism disadvantages smaller countries like Singapore, which thrive on globalisation. This changing environment, combined with US tariffs, puts pressure on Singapore's trade-dependent economy. Read more: https://ow.ly/Gz4W50WK6cu Investing to perform, engaging to transform with Aberdeen: https://ow.ly/pZq750WK6cw  Investment involves risk. #AberdeenInvestments #PressRelease

Ng Xin-Yao shared that Singapore faces significant challenges to its economic model, primarily from a global trade system that is "showing cracks and fragmenting." He noted that the rise of bilateral relationships over multilateralism disadvantages smaller countries like Singapore, which thrive on globalisation. This changing environment, combined with US tariffs, puts pressure on Singapore's trade-dependent economy. Read more: https://ow.ly/Gz4W50WK6cu Investing to perform, engaging to transform with Aberdeen: https://ow.ly/pZq750WK6cw  Investment involves risk. #AberdeenInvestments #PressRelease

Exciting to see the news overnight of the launch of an innovative new trade partnership for these challenging times: FIT-P, or the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (though it must be said, the group's acronym game could do with some work). The initiative counts 14 members, including New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland and others from Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa - showing that champions of open, connected and trade-friendly markets know no geographical bounds. This looks set to be another great example of 'concerted open plurilateralism' - a group of dynamic, small-to-mid-size, committed and creative economies demonstrating just what can be done with political will, agility and some great ideas. The Partnership will focus on four key enablers of modern trade and business models: 🌏 supply chain resilience 💰 investment facilitation 🚧 NTBs and trade facilitation 💻 and a welcome cross-cutting focus on tradetech The declaration also includes an important affirmation of these economies' commitment to the multilateral rules-based trading system, an open and fair trading environment, collaborative solutions and multistakeholder approaches. No doubt the business communities of these FIT-P countries will be eager to help co-design practical solutions across all four focus areas. Let's get this snowball rolling! Congratulations to New Zealand Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Gan Kim Yong, and their twelve colleagues and negotiating teams including New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. Alison Hamilton Anna Curzon Sarah Ottrey Brett O'Riley Felicity Roxburgh https://lnkd.in/gQN5wGhb