GREATER agricultural trade between Trkiye and the Philippines is expected following the trade mission attended by members of the Trkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Ambassador Niyazi Evren Akyol said more poultry products are expected for export to the Philippines, while he anticipates a higher volume of fresh and dried fruits from the latter.
‘We are in contact [and] in touch with the Department of Agriculture.going through the necessary procedures,’ Akyol told journalists. ‘The possibilities are wide, but we are trying to focus on a few first, and then expand from there.’
The envoy was scheduled to meet Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. afterward, adding that Trkiye is also considering a further hike in defense equipment exports to the Philippines.
According to Akyol, his country is in contact with the Department of National Defense (DND) but declined to elaborate, except for saying that the Philippines’ acquisition is in line with the Defense Department’s modernization program, now dubbed Re-Horizon 3 after it was expanded into a 10-year program from the original five years.
‘We are, of course, in touch with the DND and the branches of the Armed Forces. And there is great interest in a variety of products,’ he shared.
In his speech, TIM’s head of delegation Ali Can Yamanyilmaz said the Philippines is an important trade partner of Trkiye, since it is ‘one of the most dynamic and high-growth economies in the region.’
Yamanyilmaz said Trkiye’s exports to the Philippines was about $140 million in 2024; imports from the latter amounted to $254 million in the same year.
He said the defense and aerospace industries drove export growth to the Philippines in the first seven months this year, after rising by 164 percent on an annual basis, and was followed by jewelry, 55 percent; electrical electronics, 26 percent; and grains, 11 percent.
‘We look forward to building our ties and enabling more of our 150,000 exporters to participate in this promising market,’ the TIM official noted.