The Philippines and the United Kingdom want to increase Filipino exporters’ use of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), trade officials said Tuesday.
The DCTS grants developing countries reduced or zero tariffs on thousands of products exported to the UK. It provides duty-free access for 92 percent of Philippine exports, equivalent to 99 percent of their total value.
Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty said the Philippines’ utilization rate stood at 68 percent, citing limited awareness of the program and difficulties in meeting its requirements.
He called for a stronger information campaign to help more Filipino exporters take advantage of the trade preferences.
Officials welcomed initiatives to improve DCTS utilization and prepare Philippine companies to enter the UK market. These include trade promotion, business matching and technical exchanges on market-access requirements.
The issues were discussed at the second Philippines-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting on Tuesday.
Gepty and UK Minister of State for Trade Anas Sarwar endorsed an updated work program to be implemented over the next 12 to 18 months through sectoral working groups and partnerships between the government and private sector.
They also welcomed plans to formalize a memorandum of understanding on agricultural trade and cooperation, which would consolidate existing initiatives under a single framework.
The officials cited the signing of a financing framework that could provide up to £5 billion in UK Export Finance support for Philippine priority infrastructure projects.
Gepty said the UK had also expressed interest in renegotiating its double taxation agreement with the Philippines to reflect current economic conditions and international standards.
Both sides agreed to explore cooperation in emerging areas, including space technology and trade digitalization.
The Philippine delegation congratulated the UK on completing its Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership accession process with Canada, allowing the agreement to apply between the UK and all CPTPP members.
Before the JETCO meeting, officials held a roundtable discussion with business leaders on the challenges, opportunities and priorities for strengthening bilateral trade and investment.
Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that bilateral merchandise trade reached $1.1 billion in 2025, consisting of $613 million in Philippine exports and $537 million in imports.
The UK was the Philippines’ 23rd-largest trading partner, 19th-largest export market, and 22nd-largest source of imports that year.