NAGKASUNDO ang trade officials ng Filipinas at Indonesia na maghanap ng paraan para mapaliit ang trade gap sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa, ayon kay Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.
Ito ay makaraang ihayag ni Lopez ang kasalukuyang trade imbalance pabor sa Indonesia, sa bilateral meeting nina Presidente Rodrigo Duterte at Indonesian President Joko Widodo noong Sabado sa sidelines ng 34th ASEAN Summit sa Bangkok, Thailand.
Sa naturang pagpupulong, ang dalawang bansa ay nagkasundo na itulak ang pagkakaroon ng mas maraming Philippine products sa Indonesian market, partikular para sa agri-based products tulad ng saging, shallots, coconut products, food and beverages, at industrial products gaya ng auto parts.
Ayon kay Lopez, nangako rin ang Indonesian officials na magtatayo ng isang Kopiko coffee processing plant sa Filipinas.
Tinalakay rin ang pag-angkat ng kape sa Indonesia.
“Trade officials from both sides were asked to resolve the current issue on safeguard measure imposed by the Philippines against instant coffee imports from Indonesia. This is due to the lower import price, which is below the set trigger price of P203.74 per kilo set by the Philippines. The lower import price has led to higher imports affecting local manufacturers in the Philippines,” wika ni Lopez.
“Meantime, Indonesian products such as instant coffee, automotive and construction materials continue to penetrate the Philippine market,” dagdag pa niya.
