USDA flags trade barriers in PH food market

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has flagged the overlapping regulatory functions of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Health (DOH) as a barrier that could dissuade American exporters from entering the Philippine market.

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In its latest Food and Agriculture Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Country Report Annual, dated April 29, the USDA said that the regulations imposed on agricultural goods by the DA and the DOH still overlap despite the clear delineation of responsibilities.

The USDA report was published just as Philippine trade and economic officials are in Washington, D.C., this week to negotiate with their US counterparts on the 17-percent reciprocal tariff to be imposed on American imports from the Philippines. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque earlier said the Philippines is open to concessions, including easier entry of some US agricultural exports, to lower the impending tariff.

The report cited Republic Act (RA) No. 10611, or the Food Safety Act, which explicitly defines the responsibilities of the two agencies in the country's food regulatory system.