PH to start exporting durian to China in March: Palace DTI: 26% of PH exports depend on EU GSP+

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has underscored the importance of the European Union (EU) Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) to the Philippines in a meeting with the visiting representatives of the EU Parliament.

DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual met with representatives of the EU Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights in Makati City on Feb. 22, wherein the trade chief gave updates on the country’s commitment to the 27 international conventions and how the GSP+ has benefited the Philippines and EU economic relations.

The EU Parliament representatives who met with Pascual were Isabel Wiseler-Lima of the Group of the European People’s Party, Karsten Lucke of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Hannah Neumann of The Greens and the European Free Alliance, Ryszard Czarnecki of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, and Miguel Ur- ban Crespo of The Left.

ThePhilippines is poised to ship an initial 7,500 metric tons of durian to China in March, Malacañang announced on Thursday.

The representatives of the EU Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights are visiting Manila to meet with Pascual and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla from Feb. 22 to 24.

In a Viber message to trade reporters Thursday, Pascual told the visiting EU Parliament representatives that 26 percent of the county’s exports are benefiting from the EU-GSP+.

“This preferential scheme benefitted not just our local industries but even foreign investors doing business in the country,” he said.

The Philippine government bats for the renewal of the EU-GSP+, which is set to expire by the end of this year.

Under this trade preference program, 6,270 goods from the Philippines that enter the EU market have zero tariffs.

Pascual also conveyed to the EU Parliament representatives the country’s interest to resume the Philippines-EU free trade agreement (FTA) talks, which has been on hiatus for almost six years.

The scheduled shipment of durian to China was reported to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. by the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) in a meeting at Malacañan Palace, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.

“In its (DA-PBM) presentation, the agency said there is an initial volume of 7,500 metric tons of durians ready to be sent to the Asian country, which will be sourced from 59 different farmers or producers covering some 400 hectares of production area,” Garafil said.

To recall, Marcos’ state visit to China in January led to the signing of USD2-billion fruit export deal between Manila and Beijing to step up imports of high-value Philippine agricultural products.

On Jan. 4, the DA and China’s General Administration of Customs signed the Protocol of the Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Durians from the Philippines to China.

The agreement is expected to open up the Chi- nese market for an estimated 50,000 metric tons of fresh durian.

The DA earlier announced that the durian will be initially exported from the roster of registered farms in major durian production areas in Davao City and the provinces of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.

The Davao region covers around 78 percent of the total durian production in the country.