DTI sets business mission to Germany

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) will lead a 96-man business mission next month to Germany to promote Philippine export products to the rest of the world.

In a statement, the DTI said it is taking 96 delegates from 35 companies to the world’s largest food fair called Anuga to be held in Cologne, Germany from Oct. 10 to 14.

The DTI and the Department of Agriculture will likewise hold a Philippine business forum during the Anuga 2015 to take advantage of the presence of the major food importers and investors from all over the European Union (EU). 

Trade Undersecretary Ponciano  Manalo Jr., said the forum would present the details on how EU importers and investors could avail themselves of very competitively-priced Philippine exports of premium quality.

“Our superior price competitiveness stems from the EU-GSP+ (European Union’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus), which reduces or eliminates tariffs on exports from developing countries, and the Philippines is one of only 13 developing countries and the lone beneficiary in Southeast Asia to gain zero tariffs from the EU-GSP+, which covers some 6,274 export products,” Manalo said.

Manalo added the business forum on EU-GSP+ and the Philippines food pavilion at the Anuga Fair are  expected to generate publicity about the quality and price competitiveness of Filipino products.

As the world’s largest and most important food and beverage fair, the biennial Anuga attracts thousands of exhibitors and visitors from all over EU and around the globe. 

Its previous edition in 2013 drew 6,777 exhibitors from 98 countries and 155,000 trade visitors from 187.

The EU alone is the world’s single largest trading body, accounting for 40 percent of global merchandise exports and imports and the second-largest importer of goods and services.