The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) encouraged the country’s manufacturers to further improve the quality of their products to compete in the export market in view of the free trade agreements (FTAs) and tariff liberalization in the global market.
“With the decrease in tariffs of most traded products, competition is no longer limited to who can offer the lowest price but who can conform or surpass the standards of international markets as well,” DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) Assistant Director Agnes R. Legaspi said.
Legaspi said the markets where Philippine goods have competitive prices due to FTAs include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member economies, Japan , China , South Korea , India , Australia , and New Zealand .
Through the FTAs, most of Philippine products entering into these markets have zero tariff rates. In return, however, goods from these countries have competitive prices as well in the Philippine market.
Moreover, the European Union (EU), United States (U.S.), and Canada also offer duty-free access to Philippine goods through a generalized scheme of preferences (GSP).
“As tariffs go down, we need to work more closely with Philippine businesses to help them navigate the rules of origin requirements and to hurdle other barriers, for instance product standards,” DTI-Industry Development Group (IDG) Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo said. (Charlie S. Dajao, DTI Calabarzon/DTI-KMIS/J. Cabactulan)
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