Phl pushes greater access for agri products in US

WASHINGTON – The Philippines continues to push for greater market access for its agriculture exports to the United States, which remains the country’s biggest market for food and agricultural products.

Agricultural attaché to the US Josyline Javelosa said the government continues to engage its counterparts through government-to-government outreach on policies that have bearing on trade and business activities between Manila and Washington.

During a luncheon discussion with the economic team of the

Philippine embassy in Washington, Javelosa said the Philippines is pushing for better market access for Philippine agricultural products.

She said the Philippines has several pending requests with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) after successfully getting the green light to export bananas, mangoes and fresh young coconut.

“We continue to engage the USDA on market access regulations for agricultural product exports from the Philippines,” she said.

According to Javelosa, the Department of Agriculture in Manila has a pending request for okra exports to the US.

“This will go through a long process like for bananas and mangoes which took several years… but we should be ready, so when it is opened up then we have the supply to export to the US,” she said

According to Javelosa, the Philippines could take advantage after Thailand lost its eligibility under a US trade preference program through the general system of preference (GSP) for several products including okra.

Likewise, the agriculture attaché said the DA has also asked the USDA to waive the pre-inspection requirement for mangoes.

“We are trying to do away with the pre-waiver inspection for mangoes because it entails more costs making our mango less competitive especially compared from the mango coming from Mexico,” she said.

Javelosa said the Philippines has also asked the US to expand the point of entry for Philippine pineapple that is currently limited to Guam, Northern Marianas Island, and the North Atlantic region.

“Hopefully we could improve the exports of Philippine products to the US,” Javelosa said.

Latest data from the US Trade Representative office showed the US remains the top single country market for Philippine food and agricultural products, reaching $1.1 billion last year.

Major food and agricultural exports to the US include tropical oils with $535 million, processed fruits and vegetables with $168 million, tree nuts with $113 million, fruits and vegetable juices with $75 million as well as raw beet and cane sugar with $61 million.