A coalition of 14 countries, including Singapore, Brunei, and New Zealand, has launched the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership to support open and fair trade. Announced during a virtual Ministerial Meeting, the initiative aims to address emerging trade challenges and opportunities by fostering cooperation between public and private sectors. The World Trade Organisation Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, attended the launch, with Singapore represented by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
The FIT Partnership is a response to recent global trade developments that threaten to fragment markets and hinder growth, particularly affecting small and medium-sized countries reliant on a rules-based trading system. The partnership will focus on supply chain resilience, investment facilitation, and reducing non-tariff barriers, with trade technology as a horizontal enabler.
Gan Kim Yong stated, “The FIT Partnership reflects our countries’ collective purpose to support the rules-based multilateral trading system and address the challenges of today and tomorrow.” The initiative is designed to be agile and informal, promoting dialogue and innovation that can be scaled to the multilateral level.
Singapore will host the inaugural FIT Partnership Ministerial Meeting during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum from 19-21 November 2025, where ministers plan to endorse concrete initiatives. The partnership aims to be inclusive and adaptable, inviting other countries to join in upholding its principles and ensuring economic security and job opportunities globally.
