Philippines
The Philippines signed its first bilateral FTA with Japan in 2006 and is presently party to the ASEAN FTA processes (China, India, Korea, Japan and Australia/New Zealand). The Philippine government has been trying to get Washington to offer an FTA, while those of New Zealand and Chile are apparently in favour of a bilateral deal with Manila. The Philippine government wants to join the TPP, and is engaged in efforts to lay the groundwork for negotiations with the EU for a possible FTA.
last update: May 2012
Articles
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27-Sep-2016 Inquirer PH to engage Mexico in trade talks
The Philippines is eyeing to forge a free trade agreement with Mexico to further deepen the bilateral trade and investment ties between the two countries. -
5-Sep-2016 Malaya Business Insight European car distributors seek tariff concession under FTA
European car distributors are asking the government to seek tariff concession for automotive under the planned Europe-Philippines free trade agreement (FTA). -
22-Aug-2016 Inquirer DTI pursues free trade talks with EU, Chile
The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry is aggressively pursuing free trade talks with key trading partners, including the European Union and Chile, as it seeks to follow through with the gains achieved by the last administration. -
24-May-2016 TNI Signing away sovereignty
The Philippines has a web of investment treaties which severely constrain the government’s ability to regulate or close polluting mines, a legal straitjacket that will become even tighter if the EU–Philippines Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) proceed -
29-Apr-2016 EU-ASEAN Network Midnight trade deal: Why is the Aquino government rushing a free trade deal with Europe?
Press statement of the EU-ASEAN Network on signing of Philippines-EFTA FTA -
27-Apr-2016 Malaya PH, EFTA to sign free trade pact
The Philippines and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will sign anytime this week the free trade agreement between the two, the country’s second bilateral FTA after the one with Japan. -
16-Nov-2015 Philippines, Chile eye free trade deal
The governments of the Philippines and Chile on Monday agreed to pursue a possible free trade agreement, signing a letter of intent on a joint feasibility study. -
11-Nov-2015 Business World Online DTI consultations to help set EFTA deal agenda
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is to meet members of business groups and nongovernment institutions to discuss the state of trade negotiations with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). -
20-Jul-2015 Rappler PH wants agri products included in European free trade pact
The Philippines is negotiating for the inclusion of processed tropical fruits and durable fresh products as part of the ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association. EFTA, in turn, wants zero tariff market access for fish. -
28-May-2015 Rappler PH eyes 3 more bilateral agreements
The Philippines plans to forge bilateral agreements with Mexico, Chile and Canada, after the countries started last week exploration talks aimed at further strengthening their trade and economic relations. -
27-May-2015 Xinhua Philippines, Peru set to engage in FTA talks
The Philippines is set to engage into free trade agreement talks with Peru, a senior government official said on Wednesday. -
16-Apr-2015 EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign Network New generation free trade agreements: A threat to life and livelihoods
Multi-sectoral network calls on Philippine government to turn back from its FTA ambitions -
30-Mar-2015 Tax-News.com EFTA, Philippines hold first FTA negotiations
The first round of free trade agreement talks between the Philippines and the members of the European Free Trade Association – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – was held last week in Makati, Philippines. -
12-Jan-2015 Chile interested in free trade agreement with PH—Domingo
A Chilean delegation is set to arrive in March and may initiate talks for a bilateral free trade agreement with the Philippines, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said over the weekend. -
20-Nov-2014 PNA Philippines interested in joining US-led Trans-Pacific free trade area
Philippine President Benigno Aquino said his government is studying the benefits of joining the TPP before it makes a decision. -
12-Nov-2014 PDI Aquino leaves question of PH joining free trade area to successor
President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday he would leave the decision on whether the Philippines should join a proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) to his successor. -
29-Sep-2014 Inquirer US-led trade bloc seen to harm Philippines
The Philippines stands to lose some of its major markets if it will not be able to join the United States-led Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc, a US-based economist said. -
22-Sep-2014 Philippine Star PHL to open more bilateral agreements
Trade Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. said the Philippines is willing to look into having bilateral trade agreements with other countries. -
4-Jul-2014 EU-ASEAN FTA Network EU-ASEAN FTA Network statement on the signing of Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the Philippines and EFTA
The signing of the Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the Philippines and the European Free Trade Association is a prelude to an ambitious and comprehensive free trade agreement with EFTA and eventually with the European Union as well. -
2-Jul-2014 BusinessWorld Philippines pursues free trade talks with European bloc
Tthe Philippines and EFTA member countries — Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway — signed last June 23 a joint declaration of cooperation that paves the way for free trade talks.
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Philippines Bilateral Trade Agreements programme
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RP-US FTA website (PIDS)
A website set up late 2004 by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, a government agency.
Links
Upcoming events
1 Oct: Public debate on FTAs in Casablanca (Morocco) - contact 8 Oct: mobilisation in Luxembourg against CETA - contact 8-15 oct: October of resistance against TTIP and CETA in Spain - contact 15 Oct: mobilisation in Paris against CETA - contact 10-15 Oct: regional week of action against RCEP in Asia-Pacific 27-28 Oct: mobilisation in Brussels against CETA - contact
Any edits, please contact us
News from the movements
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28-Sep-2016 Global Labour Column
Unpacking CETA
For decades, labour has been fighting purely defensive battles against the neo-liberal trade and investment agenda; we lack an agenda of our own. Lost ground will not be reclaimed on what is fundamentally hostile territory, argues Peter Rossmann of the IUF. -
26-Sep-2016 No al TTIP
Aprobada en Les Corts Valencianes una iniciativa para instar al Gobierno central a no autorizar la firma del Acuerdo Económico y Comercial Global (CETA)
Un total de 32 ayuntamientos valencianos, que aglutinan a más de un millón de personas, han rechazado este acuerdo. -
23-Sep-2016 La Diaria
Para comerte mejor. Contra los TLC y otros tratados vampiros
Suplemento especial elaborado por La Diaria, Uruguay, dedicado a los Tratados de Libre Comercio. -
23-Sep-2016 TeleSur
Dozens of Indigenous absolved in Peru’s 2009 ’Baguazo’ massacre
Dozens of Indigenous people in Peru have been absolved of accusations that they were responsible for a massacre seven years ago that killed at least 32 people, due to intense conflict triggered by the country’s free trade agreements.
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22-Sep-2016 CADTM
ATTAC CADTM Maroc organise un séminaire sur les accords de libre échange au Maroc
Il est urgent de lever le silence qui entoure cette question dans notre pays et de présenter des éléments de réflexion critique et de débat sur ce sujet -
21-Sep-2016 El Economista
Miles de personas protestan ante las instituciones europeas contra el TTIP
Miles de personas se manifestaron hoy (20-9) en el barrio europeo de Bruselas contra el TTIP y el pacto comercial ya cerrado con Canadá (conocido por CETA), aún pendiente de ratificación. -
21-Sep-2016 EurActiv
Thousands protest in Brussels against US, Canada trade deals
Thousands of protesters marched through Brussels to demand the European Union abandon planned transatlantic free trade deals. -
21-Sep-2016 Le Monde
Des milliers de manifestants à Bruxelles contre les traités de libre-échange transatlantiques
Plusieurs milliers de personnes manifestaient à Bruxelles pour dénoncer le traité de libre-échange transatlantique que l’UE négocie avec les Etats-Unis (TTIP) et son équivalent avec le Canada (CETA).
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