Greece offers potential as market for RP products

Greece’s geo-economic importance within the EU landscape presents various windows of opportunities for Philippine entrepreneurs to provide goods and services in that country.

Greece is an import-dependent country. In 1999, imports reached $26.6 billion, while exports stood only at $8.6 billion. Opportunities can be seen in the areas of services and manufacturing, particularly furniture and furnishings (interior and home decor), fashion accessories, food (mangoes, bananas, pineapples, tropical juices, processed fruits, coffee (instant/brewed), soy sauce, coconut milk/cream and beer, a commercial intelligence report submitted recently by Commercial Attache J. Judan, of the Philippine Trade & Investment Center in Jakarta, Indonesia revealed.

Since Greece will play host to the XXVIII Olympic Games on 2004, projections show that there will be more constructions, refurbishings and replacement of old furniture by hoteliers. The country will also need professional services in infrastructure projects to be undertaken in the next three years to support public works and infrastructure requirements in anticipation of influx of visitors to the Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, the food industry is expanding fast to support new markets in neighboring countries. Greeks are health conscious people. Their large population within and around Athens enjoy dining out. This situation also provides a good opportunity to sell high-quality tropical fruits which are exotic to their tastes and good for their health. – Philexport News and Features