DTI Conducts “Doing Business in FTA” Seminar by: James U. Sy Jr.

Resource speakers, DTI officials, and the participants of the "Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA)" information session organized by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Negros Occidental for Bacolod and Negros Occidental-based business enterprises on November 8, 2016 at the Molasses Hall, Sugarland Hotel, Araneta St., Bacolod City (James U. Sy Jr. photo).

Resource speaker Rudolph Jay Velasco of Pampanga, Trade-Industry Development Specialist (TIDS), Market Innovation Division (MID), EMB, DTI, gave a talk on “Philippine-US Bilateral Trade and US GSP” during the "Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA)" information session organized by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Negros Occidental on November 8, 2016 at Sugarland Hotel City (James U. Sy Jr. photo).

Resource speaker Nick Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia, President/CEO of Asia Etc., gave a talk on "Market Opportunities in the US for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)" during the "Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA)" information session organized by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Negros Occidental on November 8, 2016 at Sugarland Hotel City (James U. Sy Jr. photo). The "Doing Business in Free Trade Areas (DBFTA)" information session was successfully presented by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Negros Occidental for Bacolod and Negros Occidental-based business enterprises on November 8, 2016 at the Molasses Hall, Sugarland Hotel, Araneta St., Bacolod City. Attendance was more than the expected 60 participants from the business sector, as well as from the academe (USLS and CASAP-Bacolod included). Resource Speakers were Rudolph Jay Velasco, Trade-Industry Development Specialist (TIDS), Market Innovation Division (MID), EMB, DTI, for “Philippine-US Bilateral Trade and US GSP” and Nick Johnson of Atlanta, Georgia, President/CEO of Asia Etc., for "Market Opportunities in the US for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)." Velasco informed the participants that the top Philippine export for the Philippines was electronics at 57% of the $58.83 billion total exports of the country. Under the Philippine-US Bilateral Trade in 2015, the USA ranked 2nd as import source of the Philippines at $7.47B, 2nd as export market at $9.02B, and 3rd as trading partner at $16.49B. Velasco also talked about market opportunities in the USA, consumer trends in the USA, recent export promotions in the US, and the US Generalized Schemes of Preferences (GSP). Johnson, who had been to all of Asia, focused on the export of food products to the USA. He talked about the market demographics, citing both the mainstream and ethnic segments, how they shop and the shifting trends towards online shopping,branding, positioning, pricing, value chain including distribution partners in the US and retailers, warehousing,and other details specific to the industry. The DBFTA is a business-education program by the DTI with the goal of informing businesses of the benefits of Free Trade agreements (FTAs) and has now expanded to include sessions on ASEAN integration and GSP schemes. Free-trade agreements (FTAs) and Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP) eliminates or reduces tariffs thereby making Philippine products more price-competitive in the global market. More than half of Philippine exports are with FTA partners and GSP donor countries. Leading DTI-Negros Occidental in organizing the event was Rachel N. Nufable, Chief Trade and Industry Development Specialist/Division Chief. Master of Ceremonies was Romel Amihan, Ph.D.,Senior Trade-Industry Development Specialist (STIDS). Completing the DTI team were Engr. Engiemar Tupas and Mae Buaron, both STIDS. \\