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  1. Negotiations

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
Photo: Michel Cermak/Twitter

Arroyo eyes free trade pact with US by July 2007
20-Nov-2006 INQ7
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she wanted the Philippines to forge a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States by July next year. "I told [business leader] Doris Ho... ‘I got President Bush to say yes to the FTA so you write the draft so that we don’t have to go through the years and years of negotiations,’" she said.
Bush encourages continuation of talks on possible RP-US FTA
19-Nov-2006 Philippine Information Agency
United States President George W. Bush is in favor of continuing the discussions on a possible US-Philippines Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to further enhance trade relations between the two countries, Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila said today.
RP urged to pursue competitiveness while bilateral talks with US are on hold
16-Nov-2006 Manila Bulletin
While the result of the recent US elections has put on hold the proposed bilateral Philippine-US free trade negotiations, the Philippines should pursue competitiveness efforts in areas that can not benefit from FTA deals like mining, IT, intellectual property rights, call center and business processing outsourcing, according to Matthew Daley, president of the US-ASEAN Business Council.
FairTrade-Philippines’ Statement on RP-US Agreement
8-Nov-2006 Fair Trade Alliance (FairTrade-Philippines)
After concluding the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), the government appears to be pursuing a similar bilateral free trade agreement (BFTA) with the United States. But like in the JPEPA, the RP-US trade talks are shrouded in secrecy.
RP ready to engage US in sectoral bilateral free trade talks
3-Nov-2006 ABS-CBN
The Philippines is ready to officially engage the US on a possible sectoral bilateral free trade agreement, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter B. Favila said Thursday.
RP sponsors Asean for Jpepa-like deal
30-Oct-2006 Daily Tribune
As a bilateral agreement between Japan and Philippines on free trade has been submitted for close scrutiny by Congress over alleged provisions that would allow the dumping of toxic wastes in the country, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila is now negotiating in behalf of the entire Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for a similar trade liberalization deal.
Gov’t calls for expansion of bilateral agreements
6-Sep-2006
The government has called for an expand bilateral agreements with other countries to improve international market access for Philippine products.
RP proposes phased-in bilateral FTA with US
30-Aug-2006 Manila Bulletin
The Philippines has formally proposed to the US for a phased-in bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) starting out with the garment and textile sector in an effort to protect the country’s advantages in this sector in the US market, which accounts for over 70 percent of the country’s total garment exports.
Officials at odds over US trade deal
29-Aug-2006 Manila Times
Local leaders expressed differing views on whether the Philippines has the capacity to enter into a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United States or be lumped together with its Asean neighbors in a region-wide FTA agreement.
Free trade pacts more dangerous than WTO - IBON
20-Aug-2006 IBON Foundation
In the wake of the collapse of the Doha talks in the World Trade Organization (WTO), negotiations for the Philippines to enter into an Asia-Pacific free trade agreement (FTA) have become more urgent for industrialized countries. But independent think-tank IBON Foundation warns that entering into an FTA could be even more dangerous than liberalization under the WTO.