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.

The FIT Partnership seeks to be an agile platform in which members can collaborate on a range of trade topics, including the strengthening of supply chains, the removal of non-tariff trade barriers, the facilitation of investment and the adoption and integration of emerging technologies.

The founding members of the group include the UAE, Brunei, Costa Rica, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Chile, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland and Uruguay.

The partnership has been designed as a principles-based coalition that champions a forward-looking trade agenda, addresses challenges and seizes emerging opportunities in trade and investment, and facilitates dialogue between public and private sector stakeholders.

These countries will collaborate on developing solution-centred initiatives to strengthen the rules-based trading system, whilst the partnership will seek to amplify the collective impact of its members within the global landscape.

The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Trade leads the country's efforts within this initiative and will represent the nation in future meetings and discussions within the partnership.

New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay said, “We are a group of small and medium-sized, trade-dependent nations determined to take a proactive approach to opening markets, attracting investment, and removing barriers,” the official government website reported on September 17.

He added, “The focus will be on practical initiatives that make a real difference for businesses – strengthening supply chains, reducing non-tariff barriers, improving investment flows, and harnessing new trade technologies.”

The FIT Partnership was created following 12 months of discussions and a quadrilateral Trade Ministers meeting in Switzerland in May 2025.