Press Releases

(Washington, DC) - U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) today announced introduction of his Promoting Regional Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity and Economic Resilience in the Pacific (PROSPER) Act to strengthen the U.S. Pacific Islands economic partnership.

“The Pacific Islands, spread across the vast Pacific Ocean, are key partners in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and strengthening mutual economic, security and cultural ties across countries sharing mutual values and goals,” said Case, a founding co-chair of the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus.

"It is in our mutual best interests that we develop, maintain and grow our relationships across all levels, of which economic advancement is especially important.” 

Case continued: “Recognizing this, successive administrations have committed to deepening U.S. engagement in the region, including through trade and investment. Most recently, the 2025 National Security Strategy asserts that ‘the Indo-Pacific is already and will continue to be among the next century’s key economic and geopolitical battlegrounds,’ reaffirms our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and prioritizes winning the economic competition over the long term in the region.

“Additionally, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s 2025 Annual Report to Congress recommended that we strengthen economic assistance to Pacific Island countries to support U.S. national security interests and the priorities of partner countries.

“However, our economic toolkit for achieving our goals in the Pacific Islands needs to be strengthened. Many Pacific Island countries enjoyed preferential treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) when it was authorized, but the program lapsed in 2020. Some of the Pacific Islands’ top exports to the U.S., including tuna, cane sugar, ginger and taro, would be eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP but for this lapse.”

Case noted that the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the leading multinational organization for the Pacific Islands region, has prioritized the region’s need to build trade capacity and infrastructure and has specifically advocated for preferential trade agreements given its lack of competitiveness due to its small national markets, isolation from the global market, high cost of operating and land and labor constraints. The PIF has encouraged the U.S. to extend duty-free treatment under the GSP beyond preferences for Least Developed Beneficiary Developing Countries.

Acting on the PIF’s expressed desire, Case’s bill (H.R. 6619) extends duty-free treatment to certain goods imported from eligible Pacific Islands countries in the same manner afforded to least-developed beneficiary developing countries under GSP.

It also directs the President to develop a plan for negotiating free trade agreements with Pacific Island countries and create a dedicated trade facilitation and capacity building program for the Pacific Islands, all of which will promote inclusive economic development, create sustainable job opportunities and improve standards of living in the region.

Additionally, if enacted, the bill would serve U.S. national security interests in the region. 

“Implementing such a program would come at a low cost to the U.S. while delivering a high strategic return, especially given the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) increased focus on expanding its influence in the region, said Case. 

“My bill, PROSPER in the Pacific, would provide a visible alternative to the PRC by emphasizing economic partnership over debt-trap diplomacy, all while encouraging private-sector-led development, market-based economies and mutual goodwill between our countries.”

Attachments:

• Case remarks on his bill are here.
• U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s 2025 Annual Report to Congress is here.
• 2025 National Security Strategy is here.

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