Ambassador Charles Paul of the Republic of the Marshall Islands laid out a set of implementation priorities to a House subcommittee, warning that recent U.S. trade and administrative actions are undercutting economic stability in his country and complicating Compact of Free Association implementation.

Paul told the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs that U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s reclassification of tuna harvested in RMI waters, based on vessel flag, led to a 45% tariff that he said has effectively closed the U.S. market to RMI product. "As a result, tuna now faces a 45% tariff, effectively closing The US market," Paul said, and the action prompted a unanimous resolution in the RMI parliament asking for government‑to‑government remediation.

He also urged restoring a prior 10% bonding standard for compact infrastructure projects, arguing that higher interim bonding requirements effectively bar capable local contractors from prime roles because a functioning surety market does not exist in remote Pacific jurisdictions. Paul said the RMI has implemented projects for two decades under a 10% standard without defaults, and he asked the U.S. to return to that approach to preserve local participation and jobs.

Paul raised the unresolved nuclear legacy from U.S. testing in the Marshall Islands (1946–1958), insisting that Congress and the administration honor prior understandings to provide access to declassified records, fund affected community programs, and support a nuclear legacy museum as part of compact implementation.

Committee members signaled concern about the tariff and its economic impact and said they would pursue government‑to‑government dialogue. Other witnesses and members discussed complementary issues: DOI and State officials described grant and oversight mechanisms intended to support infrastructure and economic resilience; ambassadors from Palau and FSM described governance and implementation challenges including EAD/work‑permit confusion, in‑state tuition applications and access to VA care.

Ambassador Paul asked that the RMI parliamentary resolution be entered into the hearing record; Chair Hurd agreed to include submitted materials. The hearing record was kept open for written follow‑up responses from agencies.