US agricultural mission explores new trade openings in PH

Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley (right) met with Philippines Undersecretary of Agriculture Leo Sebastian to discuss agricultural biotechnology and its potential to help build resilient food systems and address climate-related production challenges. USDA-FAS

A U.S. agricultural trade delegation that included representatives from 29 American agribusiness and farm organizations and ten state departments of agriculture was in the Philippines recently to “strengthen trade relationships and further expand export opportunities,” according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service press release.

“Consumers abroad view American agriculture to be the most reliable in the world. Our outstanding quality and our efforts to embrace the challenge to produce commodities that are more sustainable ensure Filipino consumers want our world-class ag and food products,” stated Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator Daniel Whitley, who led the delegation.

“The primary goals were to produce mutually beneficial results to help expand trade, increase collaboration on key issues impacting agriculture in both our countries, and ultimately strengthen Philippine food security,” Whitley added.

The trade delegation focused on:

• strengthening partnership between the United States and Philippines, especially during these times of uncertainty and high inflation;
• seeking lower tariffs for food products;
• launching an Emerging Markets Program-funded African Swine Fever Project to control the spread of the disease, providing training Philippine Department of Agriculture personnel to improve veterinary services to ensure safe pork and pork products;
• understanding trade barriers U.S. exporters face in the Philippine market, including dairy tariffs, product registration and expiration date labeling.
• MOU signing between U.S. Grains Council and the Mariano Marcos State University to facilitate the exchange of best practices related to the biofuels industry and policy development.
• Understanding the challenges facing the feed sector, including volatile prices driven by weather, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, African swine fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza and growing demand for biodiesel.

The young and fast-growing population of the Philippines offers a potential boost in U.S. agricultural exports to the Philippines, which averaged $3.1 billion annually during the last five years.

U.S. farm exports to the country last year hit a record $3.5 billion, increasing from $3.2 billion a year earlier.

USDA projected that the Philippines will purchase about $3.8 billion worth of American agricultural products this year, an increase of 8%.