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Tonga – United States relations are bilateral relations between Tonga and the United States.
On July 4, 2007, US Ambassador Larry Dinger noted the "close bilateral military relationship" between the two countries. Tonga is a member of the "Coalition of the Willing", and the Tonga Defence Services have deployed troops in Iraq.[1]
The United States has urged Tonga to embrace a "suitably democratic future", but has stated that "Tonga’s issues are for Tonga to resolve".[1] Hence the United States has put little or no pressure on Tonga, its military ally, to become a democracy.
Trade between the U.S. and Tonga is relatively low, but it has seen a steady increase in recent years. In 2001 U.S. exports to Tonga totaled US$4.8 million, and by 2005 they had increased to $10.78 million. In 2005, the U.S. imports from Tonga totaled $6.45 million.
Peace Corps Volunteers are based in Tonga and teach and provide technical assistance to the local population. In 2023, the United States announced plans to open up an embassy in Tonga, as part of a larger regional push to strengthen ties in the Pacific.[2] The embassy was dedicated in July.[3]