July 16, 2015
Manila Standard Today (Anna E. Gonzales) | http://goo.gl/NRtsGl
Manila wants Tokyo to remove the tariff imposed on Philippine sugar exports, as part of the reduction of tariffs on farm products required under the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
PJEPA is a comprehensive bilateral trade and investment agreement between Japan and the Philippines which aims to increase trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
“They have previously committed to allow our locally produced sugar to enter at lower tariff. We should not waste this opportunity,” said Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration earlier asked Japan to allow a regular sugar quota of 150,000 to 200,000 metric tons at zero tariff.
SRA manager for planning and policy Rosemarise Gumera said the agency was asking for a higher premium for sugar exports to Japan.
“That is our proposal under the PJEPA, reduce tariff of exports which are beneficial to exports. Once approved, then we will be able to ship more sugar to other markets so that we will not rely on the traditional sugar quota allocation from the US,” Gumera said.
Serrano said the government now preferred an unlimited export volume at zero tariff instead of securing an annual sugar quota.
“Japan has more than 300 hectares of sugar production areas so that makes it more desirable for our sugar exporters. Why would we limit the volume when we can do better at lower tariff,” Serrano said.