DTI targets 100 booths at China expo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) plans to secure at least 100 booths to showcase Philippine products at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), following concerns raised by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) earlier as only two of the requested 150 have been given to the country.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters the Philippines intends to continue to participate in the expo as planned and to push for its request.

“We have not given up. We are still assuming what was discussed holds,” he said.

DTI Undersecretary Nora Terrado said the best case scenario is to get 150 booths, as requested by the country.

“We are targeting 100 (booths). We have 30 now,” she said.

Earlier, PCCI chairman emeritus Francis Chua said he would talk with Lopez on how to resolve the issue of being given only two of the requested 150 booths at the CIIE.

Of the requested 150 booths, he said 30 have already been fully paid by Filipino participants.

He said it is important for the Philippines to take part in the CIIE as it would provide an opportunity to promote the country’s products in China.

Aside from having a booth at the CIIE, he said participation in the event would enable a company’s product to be featured on the expo’s website.

Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China, the CIIE will be held from Nov. 5 to 10, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.

The CIIE is being held as the Chinese government seeks to strengthen trade relations with other countries.

Amid warm ties with China, the DTI wants to increase exports to take advantage of opportunities offered by the Chinese market.

Merchandise exports of the Philippines to China have posted a compound annual growth rate of 13.95 percent from 2015 to 2017.

Last year, China also emerged as the top trading partner of the Philippines with total bilateral trade valued at $23.82 billion.