Fiji, April 30 -- Rising U.S tariffs and growing global trade tensions are expected to indirectly drag down economic growth in Pacific Island countries, the International Monetary Fund(IMF) warns, as ripple effects from larger economies impact tourism, remittances, and investment flows.

"For most Pacific Island countries, the direct effects of the tariffs are likely to be small, because goods exports to the U.S are small," said Nada Choueiri, IMF Deputy Director for the Asia & Pacific Department .

"But there will be indirect effects on growth, via the tariff's negative impact on the economies of major trading partners, such as Australia, New Zealand, Asian economies, and of course the U.S itself," said Choueiri in an interview with PACN...