CITEM steps up drive to boost export of Phl creative products

MANILA, Philippines - The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is intensifying its efforts to boost the country’s creative and lifestyle products, which account for 12.7 percent or $6.5 billion of the country’s total merchandise exports of $51.5 billion in 2010.

CITEM Executive Director Rosvi C. Gaetos says the agency has firmed up its strategies by headlining the Philippines as the primary design and product source hub in the region.

“CITEM’s marketing thrust is to project the Philippines as Asia’s design trendsetter and the buyer’s first choice while we pursue demand-driven product design innovations. Our agro-industrial resource-based export development program is consistent with the emerging global mindset favoring natural and organic products as well as ‘green exports’ for which CITEM is strongly positioning Brand Philippines in the world market,” Gaetos explained.

The agency, according to Gaetos, will actively push merchandise exports such as food and other resource-based products, garments and textiles, homestyle items (furniture, decor and giftware), and wearables (fashion accessories, bags, shoes, and jewelry).

“These products are among those in consistent demand in growing consumer-rich foreign markets and can contribute substantially to our overall export growth,” Gaetos added.

CITEM, as the export marketing firm of the DTI, promotes those products through the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines held annually in May, the biennial Manila Furnishings and Apparel Merchandise Exchange (FAME) International scheduled in March and October, and significant participation in major international trade fairs abroad year-round.

To further amplify the agency’s strategies, CITEM has also prepared a direct marketing campaign that involves sales calls on major foreign retailers and importers, buying missions to Manila FAME and IFEX, invitation to industry notables, exclusive invitation to top buyers for an “Ambassador’s Night”, product showcase in each foreign embassy/consulate, market-specific information dissemination, and market intelligence.

At the same time, the agency is geared to organize trade missions in strong lifestyle markets like the United States and Japan, and emerging markets like the United Arab Emirates, India, China and Brazil, among others.

This early, CITEM has identified the top 10 markets to penetrate for design-intensive lifestyle exports. These are the United States, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, France, Singapore, United Kingdom, and Spain.

For food and other resource-based products, the top 10 target markets are the US, Japan, China, UAE, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.