MANILA, Philippines — More than 20 Filipino food and lifestyle micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) recently participated in an exposition promoting the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, according to the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In a statement yesterday, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) said 21 food and lifestyle MSMEs took part in the exhibition component of the 19th edition of the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) held at the Nanning International Convention & Exhibition Center (NICEC) in China.
CITEM said the Philippine participants were showcased under FOODPhilippines, the banner that positions the country as an exporter of healthy, organic, natural, and specialty food products and services.
“The participating brands and manufacturers highlighted the importance of local natural commodities,”CITEM said.
Among those that were featured were Philippines’ top premium export products, coconut products, coffee products, banana chips, and banana powder.
Emerging food products such as turmeric, calamansi juice concentrate with bignay, and ube powder were also displayed, according to CITEM.
CAEXPO’s Philippine organizing committee consists of CITEM, the Board of Investments (BOI), the DTI regional offices, and the DTI Philippine Trade and Investment Centers in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
In a pre-recorded message aired at the CAEXPO, President Marcos stressed that the Philippines is open for business, as he extended an invitation to China to continue being its economic partner.
“As we move forward and move toward stronger ties with China, we hope you can join the Philippines as it embarks on a mission to apply science, technology, and innovation to make our products and services more competitive in the global market and to pave the way for our country’s industrial transformation,”Marcos said.
The President also underscored the importance of building dynamic industry ecosystems as a foundation for generating quality jobs, creating new products and services, improving environmental sustainability, and ensuring shared prosperity for all.
Encouraging the CAEXPO attendees to visit the Philippine pavilion, Marcos also promoted the country as a viable opportunity for investments across different sectors.
He highlighted several industry clusters such as industrial, manufacturing, transport, technology, media, and telecommunications and health and life Sciences.
The event is expected to strengthen the relationship of the Philippines with its ASEAN neighbors and China, the country’s top trading partner.
In 2021, the Philippines and China’s total bilateral trade was $38 billion, which was 25 percent higher than in 2020.
CAEXPO is an annual international event held since 2004 with the aim of promoting the ChinaASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA). It is considered a platform for cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, and diplomatic relations between ASEAN and China.