The head of Papua New Guinea's Chamber of Commerce says a trade war with Fiji wouldn't be good for anyone, but he can sympathise with his government's frustrations.
In a strongly-worded statement last week, PNG's trade minister, Richard Maru, threatened to take retaliatory action against Fiji if it didn't lift its restrictions on PNG goods entering the country.
He says the restrictions go against the Melanesian Free Trade Agreement, and gave Fiji two weeks to respond before PNG would introduce its own restrictions.
The president of the Chamber of Commerce, John Leahy, told Jamie Tahana that imposing trade barriers would be a regressive step, but he hopes the situation can be resolved before then.
[image:78032:full] Fiji has been restricting access to PNG products particularly canned corned beef and rice. Pictured: Port Moresby, PNG