Philippines, Canada FTA Talks on Track for Year-End Conclusion

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Canada are on track to conclude their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations within the year, with the next round of talks scheduled for September. The parties are aiming for this agreement to be the Philippines' first FTA in North America. Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty informed reporters on the sidelines of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ forum that the next round of FTA talks between the two nations will be held in Canada next month. This will mark the fourth round of FTA negotiations. According to Gepty, the third round of FTA talks, also held in Canada late last month, was "very successful." He noted that "very substantive progress" was achieved, particularly concerning market access for goods. Gepty expressed his hope that the text of the FTA would be stabilized during the fourth round. The Philippines and Canada officially launched their FTA talks in October last year. Once finalized, the FTA with Canada will represent the Philippines' inaugural free trade deal within the North American region. In 2025, bilateral trade between the Philippines and Canada reached $2.15 billion, with Philippine exports to Canada totaling $1.31 billion and goods imported from Canada valued at $840 million. The Philippine government is actively pursuing FTAs to broaden its export markets and create new opportunities for Filipino businesses. Last month, the Philippines concluded negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Chile, marking its first FTA in Latin America. Furthermore, the country anticipates concluding negotiations for its FTA with the European Union this year. Source: Philstar Business