PH eyes tuna, sardine exports to Paraguay

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said he raised the possibility of the Philippines exporting tuna, sardines, milkfish, and other products to Paraguay during his bilateral meeting with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios.

Marcos welcomed Peña in Malacañang on Monday morning for an official visit, following the Paraguayan president’s arrival in Manila on Sunday.

Following their bilateral talks, Marcos said the two leaders discussed potential areas of cooperation, including agriculture, trade, and renewable energy, among others.

He said the possible export of Philippine fishery products to Paraguay “will certainly give a boost to our local industry.”

“President Peña and I discussed the potential of increasing trade and investment between our two nations, starting with generating awareness and interest among businesses on both sides, with the longer-term objective of identifying and enabling economic and commercial opportunities,” Marcos said.

For his part, Peña said Paraguay is looking to expand its export offerings of grain, maize, oilseeds, and agro-industrial products to the Philippines.

He also noted that the opening of the Philippine market to Paraguayan beef, pork, and poultry imports in August 2025 “has already enabled the first concrete shipment to this market.”

“This milestone demonstrates the capacity of our productive sector to access one of Asia’s most demanding and dynamic markets, with more than 100 million consumers," the Paraguayan president said

"We aspire for this trade flow to expand and diversify in a sustained manner, consolidating Paraguay as a reliable supplier of animal protein in Southeast Asia,” he added.

The two leaders also signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of ordinary passports from the Philippines and Paraguay, aimed at facilitating business, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

They likewise signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual cooperation in diplomatic training between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Marcos said he and Peña also discussed political and economic developments in their respective countries, as well as exchanged views on regional issues, including the Philippines’ ASEAN 2026 chairship and Paraguay’s presidency of the South American trade bloc MERCOSUR.

“I am actually very optimistic that in our discussion earlier, what came out was a remarkable parallel in the way our countries are developing ourselves and how we view our countries," Marcos said.

"The Philippines views itself as a gateway to Asia, and Paraguay a gateway to Latin America,” he added.

Marcos cited the potential long-term benefits of stronger bilateral ties between the Philippines and Paraguay.

“And that connection, should we make it and should we strengthen it, will be a remarkable boon not only to your country and mine, but also to the regions we come from,” he said.—MCG, GMA News