AFTA

Europe’s recent travails have been of keen interest to us in Asia, especially as they triggered talk of a recurrence of the financial meltdown of 2008. So it was with both eagerness and curiosity that I agreed to take part last May 13 in a panel discussion on the subject of “Asian Expectations of Europe’s…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and the European Union (EU) have made a great deal of progress during the fourth round of negotiations on most trade issues in the proposed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) that will serve as the general framework of relations between the Manila and the EU.

MANILA, Philippines – Just a fifth of Philippine-based firms have been taking advantage of a regional trade pact although the number may increase as interest in newer agreements grows.

JAKARTA: Indonesia has asked to rewrite a new regional trade pact with China, citing fears of job losses because of a flood of cheap Chinese imports across various sectors, officials said Wednesday. The government has sought to maintain 228 tariff lines for another two years rather than cut them as required under the Asean-China Free…

Last Aug. 14, 2009, yet another free trade agreement (FTA) that would shape the course of trade in the Philippines, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and India took flight from Bangkok. As with the case of FTAs preceding it, the event took place without much fanfare. ASEAN Trade Ministers signed on to the…

FREE TRADE: There is this old line that if we could convince the Chinese to drink their tea with sugar and if we could get even just one percent of the ensuing sugar needs, we would have to plant half of our arable land with sugarcane to meet the demand but would then be able…

A new free trade area comes into effect on Friday, incorporating China and the six founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). These countries include Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

MANILA, Philippines – As today’s global economy offers unparalleled opportunities for all countries across the world, continuing to expand trade by lowering barriers of goods and services is in the common interest of China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Our concerted and unremitting efforts during the past decade will soon reap fruits:…

Milestone in free trade in regional bloc MANILA, Philippines—Starting 1 January 2010, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand can import and export almost all goods across their borders at no tariff as the Common Effective Preferential Tariffs for Asean Free Trade Area (CEPT-Afta) takes effect.

For domestic industries to fully recover from damages caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) said that the government must invoke an article of the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) that would temporarily exempt the country from the zero-tariff regime beginning next year under the Asean Free Trade Area-Common…

THE Philippines will also appeal for the exemption of chicken products from the zero-tariff regime under the Asean Free Trade Area-Common Effective Preferential Tariff (AFTA-CEPT) scheme. The AFTA-CEPT schedule to bring down tariffs to between 0 percent and 5 percent on most products will take effect next year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has gained a tariff concession from its Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) neighbors, allowing the country to maintain its tariff on sugar instead of reducing it to five percent next year, said Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap said yesterday.

THE Philippines will back out of its commitment to Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) partners to bring down trade barriers for domestic rice and sugar by next year.

MANILA, Philippines – Backyard poultry growers are holding back on expansion plans, while big corporate growers such as San Miguel Corp. (SMC) are expanding in the face of the forthcoming implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA).

The Fair Trade Alliance (FairTrade) is pushing for the government to suspend further tariff cuts on commodities such as corn, poultry, rice, sugar and swine and to review trade policies to keep local agricultural industry from being eroded.

THE Philippines is proposing a gradual reduction in sugar tariffs in Southeast Asia as a “middle ground” between Filipino farmers’ plea for protection and the country’s commitment to bring down trade barriers, Trade Secretary Peter Favila said over the weekend.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has renewed her push for a free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and India to help give Asia a stronger voice in global economic affairs.

SOUTHEAST Asian nations should delay eliminating their import duties at the end of the year to shield their economies from the global recession, Trade Secretary Peter Favila said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap said yesterday that the Philippines well do well to delay by five years the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) which is scheduled for implementation next year.