Trade mission to Indonesia to boost commerce between Manado, Mindanao — PCCI

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is putting together a trade mission that will seek to expand trading between Mindanao and Manado in North Sulawesi, Indonesia particularly in processed foods, garments and electronic items.

 

Special economic zones in Manado are targets of the PCCI and the link to them from Mindanao will be roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ports, according to PCCI president Miguel B. Varela.

 

"The bilateral trade between Mindanao and Manado will grow faster when Bitung as an international port deletes certain products in its negative list," said Varela in a statement.

 

"These deleted products ( processed foods, garments and electronic items) are then treated as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)- originated products exempted from customs duties and subjected to zero-tariffs."

 

The PCCI wants the trade mission to go to Manado in October this year and its delegation will include participants from business chambers of Davao, General Santos and Sarangani. 

 

The Davao-General Santos-Bitung RORO project is among the transportation initiatives of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council- Philippines and PCCI.

 

"There is market demand for Philippine products. Manufacturers in the special economic zones in Bitung and other Manado ports need our materials. Also, the retail markets in Manado demand Philippine consumer goods," Varela said.

 

Some $147.9 million worth of goods from the Philippines were imported to Bitung in 2010 while North Sulawesi exported $6.84 million worth of goods to Mindanao in 2010 consisting mostly of  desiccated coconut, crude palm oil, coconut charcoal, crude coco oil, copra, and frozen fish. — ELR, GMA News