Phl trade remains dynamic under WTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has helped the country’s trade expand in the global market, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday.

Latest data show that the Philippines is ranked 55 in merchandise exports and 45 in terms of imports as of 2009 WTO Trade Profiles. In terms of commercial services, the country is ranked 48 in exports and 55 in terms of imports.

The WTO constitutes a set of international trade rules applied by all its members. It provides its members fair and non-discriminatory treatment, transparency, and predictability in international trade. Moreover, the WTO under its special and differential (S&D) treatment allows members like the Philippines sufficient leeway to implement the rules in a manner less than fully reciprocal when compared with developing Members.

DTI said they recognize the importance of the WTO as an institution that has maintained a stable international trading system as it remains instrumental in promoting fair trade and the recent Philippine victory in the cigarette case with Thailand shows that the WTO upholds fairness and transparency in trading practices among countries, “while securing jobs and investments.”

It can be recalled that for the past years, the Philippines faced discriminatory treatment of its cigarette exports to Thailand. This involved customs valuation and fiscal as well as health measures that prevented Philippine cigarette exports to compete fairly in the Thai domestic market. In 2008, the Philippines requested consultations, filed a dispute settlement case, and recently obtained a favorable ruling.

It should be noted that the Philippines is Thailand’s number one supplier of cigarette. In 2010 alone, the Philippines had around two fifths share of Thai’s domestic market and that figure has steadily risen since 1990. Philippine exporters estimate its share of the $849 million Thai domestic cigarette market at around $200 million. –Ma. Elisa P. Osorio (The Philippine Star)