The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it is aiming to launch a digital platform by mid-next year to help exporters determine if their products meet the rules of origin (ROO) requirements under various free trade agreements (FTAs) and the generalized system of preferences (GSP).
DTI-Export Marketing Bureau director Bianca Pearl Sykimte announced this following the recent launch of a portal promoting the use of FTAs and GSP in the country.
Sykimte emphasized the agency’s commitment to collaborating with relevant government agencies and South Korean counterparts to develop the second component of the Origin Management System (OMS) for the Promotion of FTAs in the Philippines project.
“There are different product-specific rules for each agreement. The platform will provide information on the best FTA to use for product qualification. If a product does not qualify, it will suggest which raw materials to replace and source, whether locally or within ASEAN, to meet the relevant ROO requirements,” she explained.
Sykimte also mentioned plans to link the OMS with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) process for applying for the product evaluation report (PER) and eventually the certificate of origin.
Exporters are encouraged to use the free services provided by the information portal.
“We will establish a dedicated customer support center for all inquiries lodged on the platform. This will cover not only FTAs with Korea but also all our FTAs, including GSPs with Canada, the UK, the EU, and the US,” Sykimte said.
She highlighted that exporters can fully utilize the benefits of trade arrangements if they are well-prepared and navigate the portal effectively.
“The project’s dual approach of improving access to FTA-related information and simplifying ROO compliance will empower more MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) to participate internationally and benefit from these agreements,” Sykimte added.
The launch of the information portal is part of the OMS for the Promotion of FTAs in the Philippines project, supported by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology and implemented through the Korea Trade Network (KTNET) and the DTI-EMB.
KTNET general manager Kang Sung Young stated that the portal includes five FTA tools: Harmonized System (HS) code advisor, tariff information, FTA self-diagnosis, product-specific rules, and origin determination simulator.
Young explained that the origin determination simulator allows for pre-simulation of suitability or unsuitability based on the target country, agreement, HS code, and product price.
He added that the portal has four main sections: discovering FTAs/GSPs and their benefits, reducing tariffs, expanding market reach, and information on FTA/GSP-related activities and DTI’s trade agenda.
