EDC hopes government wraps up talks on MRAs with Asean

CEBU, Philippines - The Export Development Council (EDC), through its technical working group (TWG) on non-tariff measures, plans to ask the government to accelerate negotiations on Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with the ASEAN.

  In a statement, EDC emphasized the critical role of wrapping up MRAs, and ensure effective implementation especially on the ongoing talks on food, cosmetics and drugs within the newly integrated region.

  MRAs are international pacts by which two or more countries agree to recognize one another's conformity assessments.

 EDC said that the TWG also called for more training and coaching sessions for MSMEs (micro, small and medium entrepreneurs) on product quality and certification requirements including on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, an internationally recognized system for reducing the risk of safety hazards in food.

 According to the EDC report, among other proposed actions are to identify all accredited testing centers in the country, locate gaps in certification services, extend the reach of halal trainings, mainstream shared service facilities, improve the capacity of laboratories for electronics research and development, and create an export development fund to provide finance assistance to exporters.

 In June this year, the International Trade Centre released a survey indicating that close to three-quarters of exporters and importers in the Philippines complained that non-tariff measures were a key trade barrier, with the agri-food and low-tech sectors the most affected by these regulations.

 This move, among other initiatives, is being given serious attention by EDC, in a bid  to improve the capability of local exporters to overcome non-tariff measures (NTM), including those concerning sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), fumigation testing, and labeling requirements.

 EDC’s TWG on non-tariff measures met recently to find ways to boost the export competitiveness of MSMEs stymied by burdensome NTMs.

 NTMs are policy measures other than ordinary customs tariffs that can potentially have an economic effect on international trade in goods, changing prices or quantities traded, or both.

  Other recommendations include enhancing training and guidance programs for MSMEs on correct labeling, setting up an institution to help in compliance with labeling requirements and adoption of the single-entry concept, and improving exporters’ access to official and technical translations.

 There is also a need to review national technical and SPS legislations and align them with international standards.  (FREEMAN)