New regulations to be implemented on food product exports to China

China heightened food safety management measures through the issuance of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) Decree nos. 248 and 249. Overseas producers of food exports to China shall abide by these regulations to obtain GACC certification. This means “No GACC certificate, No import to China”. This said policy will be implemented on 01 January 2022.

Overseas manufacturers, processors, and storage facilities must register with the Chinese authorities to get the certification and have an approved registration number with 5 years validity. The registration number must be indicated on the transport and sales unit packaging of the food products for exports to China.
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ARTA reiterates  to LGUs the ban of imposition of illegal fees 

The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) conducted an info-session to raise awareness for the existence of JMC 2021-01 or the “Omnibus Guidelines on the Suspension of LGU Imposition and Collection of Illegal Fees and Taxes Relative to the Transport of Goods and Products”. This was due to several reports that some LGUs are still collecting pass-through fees and taxes from vehicles transporting goods despite several directives for its ban. Continue reading ARTA reiterates  to LGUs the ban of imposition of illegal fees 

$49 billion unrealized export potential in the Philippines

The Philippines currently has $49 billion of unrealized export potential according to the International Trade Centre‘s (ITC) Export Potential Assessment (EPA) report. This is out of the $107 billion total export potential of the Philippines in the products covered by the study,

The top market where the Philippines has the largest export potential (EP) is East Asia with $54 billion followed by North America, ASEAN, and the EU.

The top sector is machinery and electronic equipment which covers almost 75% of export potential. The other top sectors are manufactured products, horticulture, minerals, metals, and other products. Continue reading $49 billion unrealized export potential in the Philippines

International Certification is Key for greater Market Access

International Certification is key for Greater Market Access.  This was highlighted by DTI Trade Promotions Group Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman as he provided insights on what to expect for the Usapang Exports Day 1 morning session.  He emphasized that the session “aims to provide specific information on the importance of securing product certification, inspection and testing standards for market compliance” which will allow businesses to sell to targeted markets and remain competitive globally.

The esteemed speakers for this session are Ms. Jocelyn Diaz of TESTEX Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. to discuss “The Role of OEKO-TEXT Certification & Labels in Modernization for Wearables, Leather, Footwear, Textile, and Garments” and Mr. Ryan August Gonzalez of SGS Philippines, Inc., to tackle “Global Reach, Local Touch for Wearables and Fashion Accessory, Cosmetics and Personal Care, Textile and Garments, Other Sectoral Industry and Green Initiatives and Sustainability”.
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Liberalization of public service: An amendment to the 85-year-old Public Service Act

On December 15, 2021, senators approved on third reading the Senate Bill No. 2094; garnering votes of 18-3-0 in favor of amending the Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the Public Service Act of 1936. The country was long held back by its underinvested public service infrastructure which in turn prohibited healthy market competition and resulted in high service costs that burden both direct consumers and exporters in general.

The Export Development Council-Networking Committee on Legislative Advocacy and Monitoring (EDC-NCLAM) advocated for the liberalization of telecommunications and common carriers in the previous version of the bill. Hence, this development in liberalizing our economy is greatly supported by the EDC. These amendments will reduce the cost of inter-island shipping by paving the way for competition in the shipping industry.
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