Biz chambers join forces boosting trade flow

The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) formalized their partnership to facilitate trade between Philippine and European firms.

On 16 April, PCCI president Perry Ferrer and ECCP president Paulo Duarte formalized the collaboration through the signing of a memorandum of agreement at the PCCI office in Taguig City.

With the strategic partnership, the ECCP and PCCI aim to advance joint initiatives, facilitate knowledge exchange, and expand opportunities for business engagement that support trade, investment, and broader economic cooperation.

During the ceremony, the chamber leaders underscored their shared commitment to strengthening collaboration, with both expressing optimism that the partnership will help broaden opportunities to maximize the benefits of the EU–Philippines Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), while continuously advocating for the swift and successful conclusion of the EU–Philippines Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

“In a time where the Philippines continues to be a highly attractive destination for European businesses, organizations such as ours play a vital role in translating potential into tangible outcomes,” Duarte said.

PCCI also noted the significance of the partnership — one that leads to a working group with good synergies and promises to deliver results.

The signing ceremony was attended by ECCP leaders, including vice presidents Roman Menz, Dr. Diana Edralin, and Lars Wittig; treasurer Albert Perez; and executive director Florian Gottein.

They were also joined by PCCI chairman of the Board Raymund Jude Aguilar and members of the PCCI board of directors.

The ECCP and PCCI, each serving as the largest foreign chamber in the Philippines and the country’s largest business organization, respectively, expressed their commitment to further deepen collaboration in the coming months to implement initiatives that deliver meaningful outcomes and further strengthen the growth of their respective business communities.