(Target ipatupad sa H1 2024) PH-SOKOR FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

TARGET ng bansa na ipatupad ang Philippines-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) sa first half ng 2024, o siyam na buwan matapos itong lagdaan ng dalawang bansa, ayon kay Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo.

“We’re hoping that the first half of the year, the Philippines-Korea FTA will already enter into force,” pahayag ni Rodolfo.

Naunang sinabi ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Philippine News Agency na ang PH-South Korea FTA ay magiging isang tratado, na sasailalim sa ratification ni Presidente Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at sasang-ayunan ng  legislative branch.

Sinabi ni DTI Undersecretary Allan Gepty, na siya ring lead negotiator ng bansa para sa FTAs, na ang pagsang-ayon ng Senado sa PH-South Korea FTA ay inaasahang hindi magtatagal kumpara sa Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), na isang mas komprehensibong trade pact.

“In a bilateral FTA, the subject matters that are covered are very limited compared to RCEP. So, basically, the focus really is in trade in goods, and of course, trade facilitation rules —no services, no investment. So, it has no other areas like e-commerce, for example. So, it’s more simple. So basically, what we are targeting here is enhancing the market access,” aniya.

Ayon kay Gepty, isinusulong ng Pilipinas, sa ilalim ng  FTA sa South Korea, ang zero tariff sa tropical fruits tulad ng saging at pinya, na major exports ng bansa sa East Asian trade partner.                                                                                                    

(PNA)