It also wants to apply for membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) this year. The country is working on an FTA with Canada and looking at potential FTA partners in Africa.

Philippine trade under-secretary Allan Gepty said his country wants greater market access for agricultural products and semiconductors, and services and investments from Chile in the proposed FTA.

On the proposed FTA with the European Union (EU), he said the third round of negotiations are set to begin in October this year.

The country aims at concluding negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates in October this year. Both sides conducted the second round of negotiations on the issue earlier this month, according to Philippine media reports.

The Philippines has FTAs with Japan, the European Free Trade Association, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and is part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)