THE second round of negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and Canada has been successfully concluded, the Department of Trade and Industry-Foreign Trade Service Corps (DTI-FTSC) said on Wednesday.
This will be the country’s first FTA in North America.
Negotiations were held on April 13-17 in Mandaluyong.
“As the Philippines positions itself to secure its first official trade agreement with a North American country, the negotiations mark a significant milestone in fostering economic cooperation and strengthening trade and investment relations between the two countries,” DTI-FTSC said.
“We achieved substantial progress in almost all the text-based negotiations,” Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty told The Manila Times in a text message. “We are on track with our target to conclude the negotiations this year.”
The second round covered all chapters, Gepty said.
These include competition policy, customs and trade facilitation, digital trade, dispute settlement, economic and technical cooperation, environment, exceptions and general provisions, financial services, good regulatory practices, government procurement, intellectual property, investment, 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.
The third round will be held in Ottawa, Canada, in July.
As of 2025, bilateral merchandise trade between the two countries totaled $2.14 billion, with exports reaching $1.31 billion and imports $840 million.
Canada ranks 16th among the Philippines’ trading partners.
Canada’s top exports include mineral ores, meat, cereals, wood, machinery, electronics, fertilizers, and aircraft and parts.
Meanwhile, its imports from the Philippines are electronics, machinery, animal and vegetable oils, leather and rubber products, scientific instruments and vegetable preparations.
“The Philippines stands not only as a trading partner, but as a strategic gateway, an economy with strong growth fundamentals, a dynamic workforce and an advantage position within Asean,” Gepty said.
Currently, the country has FTAs with Japan, Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the European Free Trade Association.
