Find Printing and Publishing expertise in Tuvalu

The printing and publishing industry in Tuvalu is very limited. The country’s only regular publications are Tuvalu Echoes and the Tuvalu News Sheet which are published by the broadcasting and information office in Funafuti. Publication of Tuvalu Echoes began in 1976, ceasing in the mid-1990s due to a lack of funding; the paper’s production was resumed in 1998 following financial assistance from the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID). There is an absence of book publishers in Tuvalu, either local or international. Pearson Education has a marginal presence in the country, operating via offices in Australia. Regional publications of the South Pacific, such as Islands Business magazine are distributed via local shops such as the Nui Store and Tuvalu Air Travel. The islands also have a National Library and Archives which houses books and magazines.

Tuvalu is not listed on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2012–13 for intellectual property protection; however nearby Australia is listed 19 out of 144 countries with a score of 5.3 out of 7.0.

The University of the South Pacific has a campus on Tuvalu and is located in Funafuti. Pacific Island Books are a company based in the Pacific which works to provide extra exposure for publishers, writers, illustrators and photographers in the Pacific Islands. The literacy rate for 15-24 year olds is 99% (2002), which is the highest literacy rate in the Pacific Islands. Whilst Tuvalu’s official language is English, Tuvaluan is Polynesian language which is also spoken amongst the population.

The printing industry in Tuvalu is small with the country’s production of the Tuvalu Echoes and the Tuvalu News Sheet being the key publications in the country. Many of the islands’ other publications are imported from Australia and New Zealand. A large proportion of Tuvalu’s GDP is earned from the sale of specialist stamps; however these stamps are largely printed overseas by companies including Format International Security Printers Ltd.