Philippine Tuna Exports Seen Unlikely To Gain From Japan Dealff

The lowering of tariffs for Philippine exports resulting from the Japanese-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) is not likely to bring an increase in the country's fishery exports, particularly shrimp and tuna.

Arsenio Tanchuling, executive director of Tambuyog Development Center, a fishery advocacy non-government organization, said that despite the already low tariffs imposed by Japan, the country's fishery exports have been on the decline based on data on their annual values from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

”For Tuna products particularly yellow-fin and skipjack tuna the five per cent tariffs since the 1990s have been reduced recently to 3.5 per cent. Tuna exports were highest at US$41.78 million in 1996 but have since declined. In 2005 tuna exports were valued at only US$13 million,” he further noted.

Under the JPEPA Tariffs for yellow-fin and skipjack tuna will be eliminated also within five years.

Tanchuling said that there are other factors besides tariff removal that affect the amount of our exports.

Data released by the Department of Trade and Industry shows that in 2005, Indonesia accounted for 28.7 per cent of Japanese imports from the region; Thailand had 21.4 per cent while the Philippines only had 10.6 per cent.

Tanchuling believes that any gain in market access that the country may have from JPEPA is likely to be temporary since Japan is also negotiating with Indonesia, Thailand and other countries in the region for similar economic partnership agreements.

”Instead of depending too much on greater market access, the government needs to focus attention on how to sustain fisheries productivity and to gain competitive edge through value adding and improving the quality of local fishery products. In particular, it should give priority on how to develop the capacity of the municipal fisheries sector and its 1.78 million municipal fishers to be able to engage in the export trade with Japan,” he added.