RP, Thailand to share tuna allocation to be set by EU

The Philippines and Thailand have agreed to share the tuna allocation to be extended by the European Union under a lower tariff rate.

This was an-nounced yesterday by Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Ro-xas II who said the "sharing agreement" was reached between the Philippines and Thailand based on the minimum access volume (MAV) to be extended by the EU under a lower tariff rate.

However, a third country – Indonesia – has decided to seek the same concession from the EU.

The sharing, Roxas said, would be based on the "historical supply pattern" of both countries.

However, Thailand and the Philippines would have to include Indonesia into the equation.

Thailand and the Philippines were the original complainants against the EU’s unfair treatment of tuna ship-ments coming from these countries.

While the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries enjoy a duty-free access for their tuna exports to the EU, Thailand and Philippine tuna shipments are slapped a 24-percent tariff.

"After almost three years of ne-gotiations, the EU has finally re-lented and agreed to extend a MAV allocation to Thailand and the Philippines," Roxas said.

But industry sources said Indo-nesia’s decision to seek a similar concession may eat up into the MAV which will be allocated by the EU to Thailand and the Philippines. – Marianne Go