Sugar, glass sectors want CEPA shield
Philippine Sugar Millers Association executive director Cocoy Barrera requested the Tariff Commission during the public consultation that sugar, raw and refined, be excluded from the PH-UAE CEPA
Daily TribunePhilippine Sugar Millers Association executive director Cocoy Barrera requested the Tariff Commission during the public consultation that sugar, raw and refined, be excluded from the PH-UAE CEPA
As the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) negotiate for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), local sugar millers and glass manufacturers urged the government to look into the sensitivity of sugar and glass products under the free trade agreement.
During the public consultation of the Philippines-UAE CEPA at the Tariff Commission on 30 August, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Export Marketing Bureau Director Bianca Sykimte confirmed that part of the interest of UAE in the Philippines is the exports of sugar and glass products.
Sykimte said the Philippine negotiating team is eyeing to offer UAE with zero tariff for products that are “not locally produced or locally produced but not in sufficient quantity.”
She said part of the possible offer of the Philippines to UAE to be given zero tariffs by 2025 are other sugar, including chemical pure lactose, maltose, glucose and fructose, in solid form; sugar syrups not containing added flavoring/coloring; and artificial honey and caramel.
DTI data showed that between 2019 and 2022, the country’s annual average import of these products amounted to $83.13 million.
Philippine Sugar Millers Association executive director Cocoy Barrera requested the Tariff Commission during the public consultation that sugar, raw and refined, be excluded from the PH-UAE CEPA.
“Although (the) UAE has no agricultural sector to speak of, it has some of the world’s largest sugar refineries. In fact, the two biggest, if I can recall, are Al Khaleej and Emirates. And their procedure is they import raw and export refined to the world markets. So, they can export sugar refined to the Philippines,” Barrera said.
“Although right now, we are not a part of their traditional export market but we don’t know the dynamics in the future. They are looking for additional markets at the top considering that they have invested heavily, particularly the government of UAE, in their sugar refining sector,” he added.
Barrera said there should be an alignment of policies since the government is spending heavily through the Sugar Exchange Industry Development Act for the development of the local industry and it is also opening the market to potential importation.
Moreover, Glass Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, Inc. associate member Anthony Cabrera also voiced the concern of the local producers that UAE glass imports might flood the Philippine market.
Sykimte said the Philippine negotiating team may also open the local market to other glassware for kitchen, table, toilet, office, indoor decoration, or similar purposes from UAE for zero tariffs under CEPA.
