PCCI urges gov’t, private sector to seize opportunities from FTAs

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is urging both the government and business sector to look for ways to seize and maximize market opportunities of free trade agreements for local firms to become competitive.

In a statement, PCCI president Miguel Varela said that for Filipino businesses to survive and become competitive as economies are becoming integrated, it is important for both policymakers and firms to have a better understanding of international trade instruments such as free trade agreements (FTAs).

“Deepening understanding of free trade agreements  â€“ their elements and provisions – substantially helps policymakers to develop strategies to increase competitiveness at the national and business and firm levels, vis-à-vis trade liberalization,” he said.

Through better understanding of FTAs, he said the government could create an environment that would enable businesses to improve their productivity and competitiveness, while local firms could come up with strategies on how to take advantage of market opportunities.

In line with its push for the government and business sector to take advantage of opportunities provided by FTAs, the PCCI through the Universal Access to Competitiveness and Trade (U-ACT), has institutionalized a continuing program on international trade policy to equip stakeholders with the right information and strategies that would help them face the challenges and seize the prospects of the global trading environment.

Now on its fourth year, U-ACT, the international trade arm of PCCI, is conducting the four-day Institutionalization of Multi-Stakeholder Professional Learning for Universal Skills in Trade Policy and Negotiations (I-MUST PLUS) on Oct. 8 to 11 at the PCCI office in Taguig City.

The I-MUST PLUS program is a partnership project being undertaken with the International Trade Centre (ITC)-Geneva and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Trade-Related Assistance for Development.

The program is likewise being supported by the Philippine Exporters Confederation and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

The program aims to develop experts and expand the knowledge base for trade policy formulation and consultation in the Philippines.

This year’s program would cover topics such as Case Study on Competition in the Philippine Shipping Industry: Bottlenecks for Global Competitiveness; Trade Statistics and their Use for Business; and Introduction to Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.

Other key topics include Understanding the Multilateral trade policy framework: Market Access in Goods, Trade in Services; Trade Policy for Export Success; Understanding Non-Tariff Barriers ; and Traditional trade policy tools for business competitiveness which includes Trade Remedies and Dispute Settlement Mechanism.

“We are happy that we are doing this program with ITC and the USAID.  The partnership has benefited institutions and individuals alike especially in institutionalizing feedback mechanism and trade expertise in policy and negotiations activities,” Varela said.