Enter China, DTI urges food exporters

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is urging Philippine Food exporters to look at China as a market for their products given opportunities there.

“The market opportunities in China, not only for the biscuit sector, are enormous. We are therefore urging exporters to tap China because it is now one of the world’s biggest economies,” Bureau of Export Trade Promotion of DTI director Senen Perlada said in a statement.

Local biscuit manufacturers are now looking at entering the Chinese market given the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – China Free Trade Area (ACFTA).

Ferdie Chanpongco, former head of the Philippine biscuit cluster said local biscuit makers are now looking at the Chinese market as the ACFTA is seen to allow Filipino firms to compete with other companies.

“In a way, the FTA opened doors to China. Now, we are more confident of entering China, which is a big market,” he said.

The ACFTA is the largest FTA in terms of population and third biggest in terms of nominal gross national product.

Under the agreement, the parties have committed to reduce the tariffs on goods.

As the government wants food exporters to consider doing business in China, Chanpongco said the DTI and the Department of Agriculture (DA) should work together to ensure there is enough supply of raw materials for the sector.

“The biggest help the DTI or the DA can do is the supply side,” he said.

He said a Filipino food aisle in supermarkets overseas should also be considered to promote local products.