[3] It was opened for signature in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, in June 2017 and was initially signed by eleven countries: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

[8] The Cook Islands ratified on 13 October 2020, the eighth country to do so.

[9][10] The treaty entered into force two months after the eighth ratification.

[14][15] The removal of tariffs on imported Australian and New Zealand goods is expected to cause a significant loss of revenue to Pacific governments.

[16] The Pacific Network on Globalisation has called the agreement "unbalanced" as key provisions on aid and labour mobility are non-binding.