Manila Times - 23 January 2026
PH-EU trade talks to resume early March
By Chynna Grace Ong
The fifth round of negotiations for the country’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union will resume in early March 2026 in Belgium, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro told reporters on Thursday.
“We need to ensure that once the GSP+ (Generalized Scheme of Preference Plus) system is over, we will have an FTA in place for continuity [of arrangements] on products and, of course, amplifying and extending to all goods and services in terms of zero tariff,“ Santoro said.
“Figures for the 2025 full year are not there yet. The growth is particularly encouraging for both sides, [despite] global uncertainties last year and continuing this year, [including] the challenging international trade environment,“ Santoro said, noting that trade value is still below its full potential compared to regional partners.
GSP+ gives developing countries zero-tariff access for over 6,000 products to the EU market, provided they follow 27 international conventions on human rights, labor, environmental protection, and good governance.
Last year, the country’s EU GSP+ utilization exceeded 80 percent. Currently, it is allowed to export 6,274 products at zero duties. The arrangement will expire in 2027.
