IFA Visits Philippine Trade Office to Explore New Opportunities for Cooperation
Recently, Mr. Qi Yilong, President of our association, led a team on a friendly visit to the Philippine Trade Office, where they were warmly received by Mr. Froilan Pamintuan (Fu Anlai), Commercial Consul of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center Guangzhou Office, and Ms. Joey Li (Li Jianmin), Senior Trade and Investment Advisor of the same office. The two sides held in-depth exchanges on food trade, exhibition cooperation, and market promotion.
Representatives of the Philippine Trade Office extended a warm welcome to President Qi of the Guangdong Imported Food Association on his visit, and gave a detailed introduction to the development of the Philippines’ food industry as well as its foreign trade policies.The Philippine Trade Office expressed its willingness to strengthen cooperation with our association, working together to promote high-quality Philippine food products entering the Chinese market and to meet Chinese consumers’ growing demand for premium food.
Mr. Froilan Pamintuan, Commercial Consul of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center Guangzhou Office, noted that in food trade, the Philippines is actively planning to increase investment and promotion in the fruits and vegetables segment at exhibitions, placing high hopes on promoting durian in the Chinese market and expecting a significant rise in its market share. He also indicated strong interest in the possibility of establishing cooperative relations with Jiangnan Group and looked forward to initiating specific joint projects through in-depth communication.
In addition, the Philippines is considering recommending its organic food and seafood enterprises to participate in exhibitions to expand their influence. The Philippine side expressed concerns about potential challenges in logistics, transportation, and customs clearance, hoping to receive more support and assistance to ensure the success of the exhibitions.
Scene from 2024 Philippine Food Guangzhou Tour – Comprehensive Food Matchmaking Conference
In response, President Qi gave a positive reply, emphasizing that China and the Philippines have signed numerous milestone cooperation agreements and memoranda in strategic areas such as education, science and technology, culture, and defense. Moreover, the two countries have established 38 pairs of sister provinces/cities, injecting new vitality into bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
China is not only the Philippines’ most important trading partner and largest source of imports, but also its second-largest export market. Against the backdrop of continuous upgrading and expansion of China’s consumer market, demand for high-quality imported food is growing steadily. We firmly believe that the tremendous potential of the Philippine market awaits joint exploration by both sides. Meanwhile, as Jiangnan Group is an honorary president unit of our association, we will fully leverage our role as a bridge to actively facilitate cooperation discussions between the Philippine side and Jiangnan Group, creating more opportunities for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
China is not only the Philippines’ most important trading partner and largest source of imports, but also its second-largest export market. Against the backdrop of continuous upgrading and expansion of China’s consumer market, demand for high-quality imported food is growing steadily. We firmly believe that the tremendous potential of the Philippine market awaits joint exploration by both sides. Meanwhile, as Jiangnan Group is an honorary president unit of our association, we will fully leverage our role as a bridge to actively facilitate cooperation discussions between the Philippine side and Jiangnan Group, creating more opportunities for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
Scene from 2024 Philippine Food Guangzhou Tour – Comprehensive Food Matchmaking Conference
President Qi stated that our association will tailor exhibition plans specifically for Philippine enterprises and encourage them to participate in the show in the form of a national pavilion. Both sides agreed to establish a regular communication mechanism, strengthen information exchange, jointly address issues arising in cooperation, and expedite the implementation of collaborative projects.
This exchange between the Guangdong Imported Food Association and the Philippine Trade Office has not only laid a solid foundation for cooperation in the field of food trade, but also injected new vitality into economic and cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines. We look forward to achieving even more fruitful results in future cooperation between the two sides.