DTI Bureau of International Trade Relations

04/09/2026

The DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Third Senior Officials (SOM3) and Related Meetings from 17-28 August 2026 in Dalian, China.

At SOM3, APEC economies advanced cooperation on trade and investment issues focused on the completion of initiatives under China’s APEC 2026 Chairship theme of “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together”. As the representative to the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment, the Bureau participated in technical discussions and ensured alignment of initiatives covering digital trade, trade facilitation, supply chain connectivity, MSME internationalization, and efforts to strengthen the multilateral trading system, alongside ongoing work to promote a more integrated and resilient regional economy.

SOM3 also served as an opportunity for economies to take stock of progress on the priorities of innovation, openness, and cooperation. Discussions across the various fora will contribute to preparations for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week to be held in Shenzhen this November.

The Philippine delegation was led by DFA Undersecretary Maria Andrelita S. Austria and DTI Director Marie Sherylyn Aquia, Philippine Senior Official and Alternate Senior Official, respectively.

25/08/2026

🇵🇭🇹🇭 The Philippines and Thailand hold the Senior Officials’ Meeting of the 1st Joint Trade Committee

The Philippines and Thailand marked a significant milestone in their bilateral economic relations with the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of the inaugural Philippines–Thailand Joint Trade Committee (JTC) held on 14 August 2026 via videoconference. Established under the 1999 Trade Agreement between the Governments of the Philippines and Thailand, the JTC provides a platform to strengthen trade and investment relations, advance bilateral economic cooperation, and address trade-related issues between the two countries.

Co-chaired by DTI Undersecretary for International Trade Allan B. Gepty and Director-General of Thailand’s Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce Ms. Chotima Iemsawasdikul, the meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of bilateral trade and economic relations and identify concrete areas for cooperation ahead of the upcoming ministerial-level JTC meeting.

A key outcome of the meeting was the agreement by both sides to pursue a joint bilateral trade target. To support the target, the Philippines and Thailand emphasized the importance of addressing market access concerns, facilitating trade and investment, and pursuing practical initiatives.

The two sides also discussed opportunities to strengthen trade promotion, agricultural market access, investment cooperation, and sectoral collaboration in areas including tourism, renewable energy, financial cooperation, halal, digital economy, sustainable MSMEs and start-ups, and the creative economy.

The Philippines and Thailand reaffirmed their commitment to advancing concrete and mutually beneficial outcomes for the 1st Philippines–Thailand JTC Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for September 2026 in Manila.

20/08/2026

Read I Take a look at the International Trade Highlights for July 2026
Read more: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kgYLAnA7_bv-vgR2-FGKg4Eu35mAYDGY/view?usp=sharing

19/08/2026

DTI-BITR Hosts Dialogue Session to Harness Opportunities for Women-Led Businesses under FTAs and other Capacity Building Initiatives

The DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations (BITR) strengthened its efforts to promote the meaningful participation of women-led businesses in international trade through a learning and dialogue session entitled “Women in International Trade: Unlocking Opportunities through Free Trade Agreements.”

Held on 19 August 2026 as part of the Bureau’s gender and development (GAD) initiative for the year, the session brought together government representatives, international and women’s organizations to discuss how women-led enterprises can build their capacity and navigate the requirements for entering export markets.

The session was opened by DTI-BITR Director Marie Sherylyn D. Aquia. According to Dir. Aquia, “Women’s participation in the Philippine economy, particularly in the national and international trade, has steadily improved over time. The labor force participation rate of women increased by 7.60 percentage points from 2020 (45.80%) to 2025 (53.40%). The employment rate of women has likewise improved and is now comparable to that of men. Most women were employed in service and sales occupations, elementary occupations, and clerical support work, and the number is continuously increasing over time.”

As women’s economic participation continues to grow, creating pathways for more women-led businesses to engage in international trade becomes increasingly important. Against this backdrop, the session by DTI-BITR Assistant Director Ma. Regina C. Serafico examined how the Philippines’ Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) can open opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while Ms. Angie Brosas of DTI-Export Marketing Bureau and Mr. John Esteward Carcosia of the DTI-Resource Generation Management Service shared the importance of equipping enterprises with practical knowledge on export requirements, procedures, and available government and international capacity-building programs.

The discussion was further grounded on the experiences of women entrepreneurs already engaged in international trade through the participation of Ms. Ma. Diyina Gem Arbo of International Trade Centre SheTrades. Their stories offered a firsthand look at the opportunities and challenges of entering export markets, while highlighting the role of timely information, business networks, capacity-building, and institutional support in helping businesses make the transition from domestic operations to exporting.

These experiences reinforced a key message from the dialogue: opening markets is only the first step. For women-led businesses to turn the opportunities created by FTAs into actual trade, they must also have access to the knowledge, networks, and support needed to meet export requirements and compete effectively. Participants from the Philippine Commission on Women, Philippine Women’s Economic Network and WomenBizPH also exchanged views on strengthening trade education, improving access to export-related information, and developing support mechanisms that are responsive to the needs of women entrepreneurs.

This also underscored the importance of integrating gender considerations into international trade work. While FTAs can establish opportunities for greater market access, complementary policies and programs are necessary to address the practical barriers that may prevent women entrepreneurs from fully benefiting from them.

In closing the dialogue, DTI Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty stressed, “When women-led enterprises are able to succeed beyond the domestic market, we strengthen not only their businesses, but the Philippines’ capacity to grow, compete, and thrive beyond our shores.”

For DTI-BITR, advancing women’s participation in international trade is therefore not only about opening doors to new markets, but ensuring that women-led businesses are equipped to walk through them. The initiative forms part of BITR’s continuing efforts to advance inclusive trade and ensure that the Philippines’ international trade commitments translate into tangible opportunities for Filipino businesses, while strengthening the meaningful participation of women in the country’s trade and economic development.

18/08/2026

Philippines and Germany Strengthen Economic Ties; JEC Paves the Way for a Dynamic Framework for Future Economic Cooperation

Berlin, Germany – The Philippines and Germany held the 3rd Meeting of the Joint Economic Commission on 22 June 2026, reinforcing their long-standing economic partnership with growing trade and investment, thriving commercial engagements, expanding economic cooperation, and deepening people-to-people ties. Department of Trade and Industry for International Trade Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty and Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Parliamentary State Secretary Stefan Rouenhoff co-chaired the meeting, which was attended by representatives from government agencies and the private sector of both sides.

The JEC comes shortly after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to the Philippines on 16 June 2026, marking the first visit of a German head of state since 1963.

During the JEC meeting, Undersecretary Gepty and Parliamentary State Secretary Rouenhoff discussed priority and prospective areas of cooperation. Priority sectors include electronics and semiconductors, energy, and the Luzon Economic Corridor, while prospective areas highlight the Philippines’ priorities in game development and climate financing.

In his remarks, Undersecretary Gepty said, “For this third JEC meeting, I would like to stress that it is a major step towards a more targeted and concrete collaboration between the Philippines and Germany. Our agenda items are not only well identified, but also strategic, practical and anchored on a solid foundation. These are sectors supported by established policy frameworks and demonstrated market opportunities. They build on the respective comparative advantages of both countries amid the current global economic and geopolitical challenges.”

At the sidelines of the JEC, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Berlin and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin organized an executive roundtable meeting with the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade and a dialogue with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung to discuss the Philippines’ international trade policy, prospects for the PH-EU FTA, and ways to intensify business-to-business linkages and economic cooperation.

In 2025, bilateral merchandise trade reached approximately USD 5.54 billion—the second highest figure in the last ten years. Trade figures with Germany is the highest among the 27 EU Member States and 12th among all trade partners of the Philippines.

12/08/2026

12/08/2026

Inaugural Meeting of the Joint Economic Commission lays the foundation for a stronger partnership between the Philippines and New Zealand

The 1st Meeting of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between the Philippines and New Zealand was held in Wellington, New Zealand on 07 August 2026. Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for International Trade, Atty. Allan B. Gepty, and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Deputy Secretary Grahame Morton co-chaired the JEC.

The Philippine delegation included officials from the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, led by Ambassador Kira Christianne Danganan-Azucena, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Sydney, and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, with representatives from other relevant Philippine agencies participating virtually. The hybrid format enabled the full participation of key agencies in the discussions aimed at deepening two-way trade and investment between the two countries. The JEC also discussed existing and potential areas for economic cooperation, including agriculture and market access, renewable energy and climate change, higher education, inclusive trade, and defense-related manufacturing. These discussions are expected to support collaborative efforts to remain on track toward the shared goal of increasing two-way trade by 50 percent by 2030.

The inaugural meeting also included private sector participation, with key remarks from the Philippines-New Zealand Business Council and the ASEAN-New Zealand Business Council. The Councils provided updates and proposals on how the JEC can facilitate an enabling environment for entrepreneurial development and support stronger commercial linkages and opportunities between Philippine and New Zealand businesses.

The JEC comes at an opportune moment, as both sides celebrate the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

The visit also featured a roundtable discussion at the Centre for Strategic Studies on economic security, where participants exchanged views on emerging economic security issues and opportunities for further cooperation.

09/08/2026

🔥 DAY 2 OF THE ASEAN ONLINE SALE DAY IS LIVE! 🔥

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⏰ Sale runs until August 10 — 1 more day left to shop the best of local products and services online!

🔗 Catch the latest promos and discover more participating brands at https://aosd.asean2026.gov.ph/

08/08/2026

The ASEAN Online Sale Day is now live!

Visit https://aosd.asean2026.gov.ph/ now and discover hundreds of businesses from across Southeast Asia.

Don’t miss out on exclusive deals, exciting finds, and 11 countries worth of products for you to discover.

Sale runs August 8–10 only.

Scan the QR code to start exploring. 🛍