Managing a small business is already a challenge — meeting quotas, increasing sales, negotiating with buyers, and dealing with customers takes up a lot of time. Now imagine managing trade and economic negotiations for an entire country. For Atty. Allan Gepty, that’s the daily reality — and will be for a six-year stretch.

As the Philippines’ chief trade negotiator, Gepty is at the forefront of international trade discussions, ensuring the country’s visibility in the global market. One of his key strategies is forming stronger economic partnerships through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

An FTA is essentially a deal between two or more countries where each party agrees to certain terms that benefit their economies, Gepty explained in an interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE, despite his packed schedule.

Gepty said there are three core areas in every FTA negotiation: goods, services and investments.

“One is market access, which covers the export and import of goods. Then there’s services and investment, which open opportunities for our professionals to work and practice abroad,” he said.

For example, the Philippines is in the final stages of securing an FTA with the Gulf powerhouse United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“In terms of the UAE, our strong interest is really in services and investment. We want to create a conducive environment for our investors here. With an agreement in place, investor confidence will grow,” Gepty said.

“As for goods, that’s the usual export-import flow. We also have a large Filipino community in the UAE, so there’s strong demand for Filipino products,” he added.

Negotiations for the UAE FTA began in May 2024 and are expected to be finalized soon after the legal scrubbing. Gepty emphasized that an FTA with the UAE could pave the way for broader economic partnerships in the Gulf region.

“If you look at it now, we’re already in good standing in Asia. We have deals in Latin America, ongoing negotiations with the EU, GCC countries in the Middle East, North America and Canada,” he said confidently.

Expanding reach

On the regional front, Gepty said the Department of Trade and Industry is finalizing terms of reference for the accession of new parties to existing agreements.

“We’re expecting new developments before the year ends. First on the list is Hong Kong, followed by Chile and Bangladesh,” he said.

Aside from international trade negotiations, Gepty also works closely with other government agencies.

“From my experience, we have good inter-agency coordination. In my line of work, international trade relations, I collaborate with several agencies,” he said.

“You have to manage the varying positions of these agencies. At the end of the day, it’s me who has to bring everything together. In fact, it’s often harder to negotiate internally than with foreign partners,” he added with a laugh.

We’re getting there

Despite the Philippines being considered a developing nation, Gepty said the country is progressing.

“There are many positive things happening in the Philippines. I feel we just need more voices to tell the world about it,” he said. “Internally, our politics [is a factor].”

“That’s why I push for FTAs. To me, they are a strong platform for introducing reforms and stabilizing policies. Even when administrations change, the commitments remain,” he said.

Currently, the country is working to finalize a trade agreement with the European Union before the end of the current administration’s term.

Gepty provided updates on the revival of the FTA with the EU, which had been suspended for eight years. Negotiations began in May 2016 but were halted in 2017 due to concerns over former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs and human rights issues.

Talks resumed in March 2024, formally restarting in October, followed by a second round in February 2025 and a third in June. A fourth round is scheduled for October in Manila.

Gepty said this could become the country’s “most comprehensive FTA” once completed. It will include not just traditional elements such as customs, goods, services and investments, but also provisions on intellectual property, competition, government procurement and trade-related sustainable development, including labor rights, environmental protection and good governance.

According to the US International Trade Administration, under ASEAN, the Philippines has preferential trade agreements with China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The Philippines also has existing bilateral FTAs, including the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), which took effect in 2008, and the Philippines-EFTA (European Free Trade Association) agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, signed in 2016 and enforced in 2018.

These agreements cover not only trade in goods and services, but also investments, competition policy, intellectual property, public procurement and sustainable development.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is also part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with 14 Asia-Pacific countries — including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN neighbors. The agreement was signed in 2020 and took effect in 2022. The Philippine Senate ratified the RCEP in February 2023.