The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) dispelled the notion the Philippines has opened up the agriculture sector under the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP).
“It is not correct to say that agricultural products will be further liberalized under RCEP, said DTI Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty in his presentation at the Senate foreign relations committee hearing yesterday.
Gepty said the Philippines only offered 33 agricultural tariff lines for further liberalization specifically for Australia, New Zealand, China and Korea compared to the existing Asean+1 free trade agreements, or the FTAs of Asean with these trading partners.
Gepty added the number of tariff lines offered under RCEP represents only 1.9 percent of the total agricultural tariff lines.
Out of these 33 agricultural tariff lines, 17 tariff lines are raw materials, 8 tariff lines are inputs, and only 8 tariff lines are final goods, he added.
“The very sensitive agricultural products are excluded from tariff commitment,“ said Gepty adding more agricultural tariff lines were excluded from tariff commitments vis-í -vis Asean Trade in Goods Agreement and the Asean+1 FTAs.
He cited the following as examples:
For Australia and New Zealand, fish fillet (dried, salter or in brine) are at 5 percent in Asean Australia New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA) to zero by year 15 in RCEP; frozen mackerel at 4 percent in AANZFTA to 3 percent in RCEP; celery and sausages, 16 percent and 32 percent in AANZFTA to 15 percent and 23 percent in RCEP.
For China, olives at 5 percent in Asean-China FTA (ACFTA) to zero in RCEP; spinach, 5 percent in ACFTA to zero in year 15 in RCEP; live swine (not for breeding), 30 percent in ACFTA to 20 percent in RCEP and; animal feeds suitable for primates, 3 percent in ACFTA to zero in RCEP For Korea, olive oil at 5 percent in Asean-Korea FTA (AKFTA) to zero inRCEP; spinach, black pepper, palm nuts and kernel, 5 percent in AKFTA to zero by year 15 in RCEP; frozen mackerel, 5 percent in AKFTA to 3 percent in RCEP; live swine and live chicken (not for breeding). 24, 28, 32 percent in AKFTA to 20 percent in RCEP.
