Australian government boosts ties with CCCI

CEBU, Philippines — The Australian government is strengthening its alliance with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to help Australian investors pursue investment interests in Cebu and the Visayas.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven J. Robinson was in Cebu recently to meet with CCCI officials to signify Australian government’s support to the Cebuano business sector as more Australian capitalists are expressing interesting to pursue investments in Cebu and the Visayas, including Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), shipbuilding, and power generation, among others.

At the same time, CCCI members are also invited to connect with Australian investors through the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.

  Australia’s proximity to the Philippines and its reputation as a supplier of quality materials and services are important factors in penetrating the market of 106.6 million (2018) people.

Demand in the Philippines for consumer goods and services – particularly for technical services, agricultural products, e-commerce platforms, cybersecurity and online education offerings – and its ambitious infrastructure investment agenda aligns well with Australian industry capabilities.

Australia’s total two-way goods and services trade with the Philippines was $5.6 billion in 2019, making the Philippines its 19th largest trading partner.

Two-way trade in goods was valued at $3.6 billion in 2019.

Agricultural, copper and precious metal ores are among Australia’s key merchandise exports to the Philippines, while electrical machinery, gold and manufactured goods are key imports.

Two-way trade in services was valued at $2 billion in 2019. Education-related travel dominated Australian services exports to the Philippines, while our services imports were driven primarily by Australian tourists in the Philippines, reflecting its strong people-to-people links.