DTI to hold trade seminar in Cebu
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, March 22 (PIA) -- Doors to more business opportunities are open to Cebu businessmen abroad as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) initiates a seminar on ‘Doing Business with Australia and New Zealand,’ which is slated tomorrow, March 23 at a posh hotel here in Cebu City.
The seminar aims to increase awareness of Cebu companies on how to effectively access the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Likewise, the activity will inform the participants on how to avail of the benefits from reduced or eliminated tariffs under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Foreign Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the various procedures and documentary requirements on availing these benefits.
Trade Assistant Secretary Ramon Vicente Kabigting of the Bureau of International Trade Relations will lead the key resource persons from the DTI. Other speakers include Director Senen Perlada of the Bureau of Export Trade Promotion, Anthony Weymouth of the Australian Trade Commission, Hernando Banal of the NZ Trade and Enterprise and officers from the Bureau of Customs.
Such DTI undertaking is part of the agency’s business education drive to improve access of Philippine products and services to non-traditional markets such as Australia and New Zealand, and for Philippine companies to avail of the benefits from reduced or eliminated tariff barriers under the AANZFTA.
Target participants are exporters, importers and customs brokers particularly those who have trade engagements (both export & import) with Australia and New Zealand or those who intend to trade with these countries.
The AANZFTA is a highly comprehensive economic agreement participated in by the Philippines and it covers trade in goods, services, investments, intellectual property, e-commerce, entry of business people, and economic cooperation.
Entered into force in January 2010, the agreement is also the most comprehensive FTA that ASEAN has ever negotiated.
Under the AANZFTA, 96.4 percent and 84.7 percent of all products that may be imported by Australia and New Zealand, respectively, can already enter their markets at zero tariffs. As such, this reduces the cost of doing business for Philippine exporters.
Tomorrow’s activity is in cooperation with the Australian Trade Commission and the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. (PIA-Cebu with DTI 7)