The Philippines reiterated its request for Australia to provide market access on several agricultural products, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Tuesday.
In recent dialogue between the Philippines and Australia, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo expressed the country’s interest for the grant of market access for its fresh Cavendish banana shipments.
This is not the first time DTI pushed for wider market access for bananas—a major agriculture export product—as the Philippines is currently securing low to zero tariff for said produce with South Korea.
Last year, banana exports reached 3.595 million metric tons which is 18.35 percent lower than 4.403 MMT in 2019, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Revenues from banana exports fell by 20.6 percent to $1.552 billion last year from $1.953 billion.
Apart from bananas, the Philippines is also seeking market access for dragon fruit and durian. The DTI welcomed the first-ever shipment of frozen durian from Davao to Australia.
“It [Philippines] also requested the termination of the anti-dumping measure on Philippine canned pineapples,” the trade department said, adding that it would work with other government agencies and exporters to address the said requests.
Both countries share trade and investment opportunities as well in several areas. These include personal protective equipment, vaccine, pharmaceutical manufacturing, copper industry, electric vehicles, agriculture, defense, shipbuilding, renewable energy, education and development programs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“Australia highlighted its focus on building stronger and wider markets through investments and cooperation initiatives with its trading partners,” the DTI said.
With this, Sydney proposed collaboration with several government agencies, including the DTI, the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Foreign Affairs and Anti-Red Tape Authority.
Currently, over 300 Australian companies are employing about 44,000 Filipinos in mining, shipbuilding, energy supply, retail trade, accommodation and food service facilities, manufacturing, transportation and storage. At least 200 of these are in the information technology-business process management industry.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the countr’s export to Australia fell by 10.3 percent to $356.94 million in 2020 from $398.10 million year-on-year. Imports from Australia reached $766.42 million last year, which is 45.7 percent lower than $1.41 billion in 2019.
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