:Tonga–United States relations

File:RoyalTonganMarines2004.JPG

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.[http://tonga.usvpp.gov/07_04_2007.html "July 4th Message from U.S. Ambassador to Tonga Larry M. Dinger"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119065103/http://tonga.usvpp.gov/07_04_2007.html |date=2008-11-19 }}, official website of the United States' virtual embassy to Tonga, July 4, 2007

The United States has urged Tonga to embrace a "suitably democratic future", but has stated that "Tonga’s issues are for Tonga to resolve". 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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/03/us-set-to-open-tonga-embassy-in-may-as-pacific-push-ramps-up |lang=en-GB |date=2023-05-02 |accessdate=2023-05-02 |work=The Guardian |title=US set to open Tonga embassy in May as Pacific push ramps up}} The embassy was dedicated in July.{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/07/26/1190117738/the-u-s-dedicates-a-new-embassy-in-tonga-in-a-bid-for-more-influence-in-the-paci |first=Ashley |last=Westerman |department=World |title=The U.S. dedicates a new embassy in Tonga in a bid for more influence in the Pacific |publisher=NPR |date=2023-07-26 |accessdate=2023-07-26}}

• Tonga is accredited to the United States from its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City and maintains a consulate-general in Burlingame, California.[http://tongaconsul.com Consulate-General of Tonga in Burlingame, California]
• United States has an embassy in Nuku’alofa.[https://fj.usembassy.gov Embassy of the United States in Tonga]

• Foreign relations of Tonga
• Foreign relations of the United States

• [https://history.state.gov/countries/tonga History of Tonga - U.S. relations]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080421044212/http://tonga.usvpp.gov/index.html United States "virtual embassy" to Tonga]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080421033016/http://www.tongausun.org/ Tongan Permanent Mission to the United Nations]. Tonga's ambassador to the United Nations is accredited to the United States.

{{StateDept |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/16092.htm}}

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{{Foreign relations of Tonga}}

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Category:Bilateral relations of the United States

United States