Philippines targets higher sales at China-ASEAN Expo

NANNING, China – The Philippines is aiming to generate higher sales from its participation at the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo (CAEXPO) this year compared to last year, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said in an interview that the DTI expects higher sales from this year’s CAEXPO given the country’s larger participation.

As this year’s Country of Honor, the Philippines brought its largest delegation to the event being held until Sept. 21 at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Guangxi, China.

The country is represented by a 313-strong national delegation, including 73 high-value export enterprises engaged in agrifood, lifestyle, home and fashion, personal care and allied services, tourism, banking and pharmaceuticals.

This is the second time the Philippines was designated as the CAEXPO’s “Country of Honor.” The first was in 2013.

During last year’s CAEXPO, 12 Philippine enterprises generated more than $18 million in export sales.

Roque said that events like the CAEXPO are very important for the Philippines, particularly in promoting the country’s exports.

“This is one of the biggest events in China where a lot of people can really find new products and explore other opportunities. So it is important for us to be here,” she said.

As the Country of Honor, she said that the Philippines is given the opportunity to promote not just the country’s best products, but also investment opportunities and tourist destinations.

For this year’s participation, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) executive director Leah Pulido Ocampo said that the government spent around P15 million to support exhibitors by covering a portion of their participation fee.

With more participants this year, she said the government was able to maximize the budget for the event.

CITEM worked with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Foreign Affairs, Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., Liwayway Marketing Corp. and Metropolitan Bank (China) Ltd. for this year’s participation at the CAEXPO.

Ocampo said that the country sees many opportunities in the export of agricultural products like durian, bananas and coconuts to China.

“Coconut is attracting a lot of interest from buyers because consumers in China are into natural and healthy products,” she said.

Apart from the exhibitors’ products and services, the country’s participation also features trade and investment opportunities in Cebu, which is CAEXPO’s official “Province of Charm.”

Ocampo said that Cebu was chosen given the province’s strong interest to promote its trade and investment opportunities and readiness to welcome investors.

Roque said that the participation in the CAEXPO shows the country’s readiness to do business not just with China, but with Asia and the rest of the world.

As part of its growth strategy, the government has been pushing to diversify the country’s export markets.

The DTI expects the country’s exports of goods to grow faster than the three percent growth target for this year.