NEGOTIATIONS for the second round of the country‘s free trade agreement (FTA) with Canada in April will cover seven key areas, Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty said on Tuesday.
“It will be a full round of negotiations [that will] cover competition policy, customs and trade facilitation, digital trade, dispute settlement, economic and technical cooperation, environment, exceptions and general provisions,” Gepty told The Manila Times in a text message.
Also up for discussion are financial services, good regulatory practices, government procurement, intellectual property, investments, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, small and medium enterprises, state-owned enterprises, technical barriers to trade, telecommunications services, temporary movement of business persons, trade in goods, trade in services, transparency, and anti-corruption.
“We are hoping to conclude it this year,” Gepty said of the negotiations, with the first round held Feb. 18 to 20 after its endorsement at the Asean Summit Leaders’ Meeting in October 2025 between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
It would be the Philippines‘ first trade deal in North America.
In 2025, the country‘s bilateral merchandise trade with Canada totaled $2.14 billion, with exports at $1.31 billion and imports at $840 million.
Canada ranks 16th among the Philippines’ trading partners.
At present, the country has four trade deals: the PH-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, the PH-European Free Trade Association FTA, the PH-Republic of Korea FTA, and the PH-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
