Exporters, farmers welcome delay of new EU deforestation rule

The country’s biggest exporters group and a major farmers’ organization yesterday welcomed the European Union’s (EU) decision to delay the implementation of its new deforestation regulation, saying it would give local producers and exporters more time to prepare for compliance.

- By ALDEN MONZON

“Of course, if they’re going to postpone it, that’s better. It’s very hard to comply with all the requirements they set. You need to secure certifications and that takes time,” Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said in a phone interview with The STAR.

Ortiz-Luis said the group was not keen on the new rule since it would likely translate to additional costs and compliance burdens for exporters, particularly small and medium enterprises.