New Zealand, US to fund Cook Islands port upgrade

New Zealand and the United States will jointly finance a major upgrade of a World War Two-era port on Penrhyn, also known as Tongareva, in the Cook Islands.

The United States plans to contribute $50 million, while New Zealand will provide NZ$17.5 million. Wellington will implement the project in coordination with the Cook Islands and Washington.

The work at Omoka village is intended to make ship landings safer, improve access to services and strengthen transport and economic links for the northern Cook Islands. The port and nearby airstrip were built by American personnel more than 80 years ago. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the airfield supported personnel, supplies and aircraft moving through the region during World War Two.

The project comes as the United States, Australia and New Zealand work to reinforce their ties across the Pacific, where China has expanded its infrastructure, trade and security relationships. The Cook Islands signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China in February 2025, covering infrastructure, maritime issues and seabed minerals.

That agreement caused a dispute with New Zealand, which maintains a free-association relationship with the Cook Islands. Wellington said it had not been adequately consulted and later paused NZ$18.2 million in development funding. Relations have since improved, and the two sides signed a defence and security declaration clarifying consultation arrangements.

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Through transformational infrastructure initiatives such as this, we are making the United States and our partners safer, stronger, and more prosperous