Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 1) — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is working on the scoping process in pursuit of negotiations with the European Union on a free trade agreement (FTA).
In a briefing on Tuesday, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said they will try to complete scoping and negotiations on the FTA before the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ends in 2028.
“I think there is goodwill on both sides so we expect the very cordial and open-minded discussions and negotiations,” Pascual said.
Pascual added that while discussions may help extend the existing tariff rate of roughly 12% to exporters until 2027, an FTA may do much more to achieve this and create jobs for Filipinos through the development of business capacities and investments.Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the topics and products that will be covered in the scoping process include digital technology, energy, processing of critical minerals, sustainable development, agriculture, and garments and wearables.He mentioned that scoping may be done through video conference for the convenience of parties concerned.“There will be around three major scoping this year to be done via Zoom. Hopefully by the end of the year, by December, the chief negotiator will be able to make an overall assessment of the scoping, both sides are already happy with the scoping paper, and then from there we’ll see the negotiation, and after the FTA negotiations,” Rodolfo said.The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said it is willing to facilitate the collaboration with other European commerce groups on scoping efforts and the FTA talks.We would like also to be the congregator, or go-to, from the government to support the groups of the private sector, to the other country chambers that would also ask for cooperation,” ECCP President Paulo Duarte said.
