ISDS Case Map
Philippines
The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry is seen to press for more agricultural concessions for the country under the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, the general review of which is expected to be completed this year.
The government will put more teeth on initiatives, including education drives and linking small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to trade chains, to make free trade agreement (FTA) benefits trickle down to the grassroots, an official said Tuesday night.
To boost the country’s use rate of free trade agreements, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to give more lectures on FTAs the Philippines is party to and tap social media to expand the program’s reach.
The largest group of businessmen in the Philippines is preparing for new trade agreements that will enable the country to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
The initial stages of negotiations for the Philippines-European Free Trade Agreement may start first quarter of 2014, Trade undersecretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. said.
A feasibility study on signing an Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) between Taiwan and the Philippines is nearing completion, the Philippines' top envoy to Taiwan said recently.
Further opening up the Philippine’s agriculture industry to competition with the European Union through a free trade agreement may put the sector at risk, according to the head of the non-government organization IBON Foundation, Inc.
While details of a possible trade pact between the Philippines and the European Union (EU) have yet to be finalized, a non-government organization has expressed concern that the agreement would be too ambitious for the Philippines and undermine its development.
The Philippines may seek for flexibility from members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to be allowed to join the trade pact without having to amend the Constitution.
The Philippines is now in a position to start working on free trade agreements with the European Union, according to the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport).
