The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is set to launch a handbook this week to help Philippine exporters access the United Kingdom (UK) market.
“So we’re launching a guidebook on how to access the UK market, leveraging on the DCTS (Developing Countries Trading Scheme),” said DTI Export Marketing Bureau Director Bianca Sykimte during the UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week in Manila.
The DCTS, introduced by the UK government in June 2023, reduces tariffs, removes conditions, and simplifies trading rules for 65 developing countries, including the Philippines.
Sykimte noted that the current utilization rate under the UK DCTS is 68 percent, slightly lower than the over 70 percent under the EU Generalized System of Preferences. “So we’re hoping the same for the UK DCTS,” she added.
DTI is also in discussions with the UK government to relax trade rules for sectors with low utilization, particularly garments. “Based on our discussions last week, they’re cautiously optimistic that they will relax. It’s just that they’re not yet in liberty to disclose,” Sykimte said.
These efforts are part of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), which held its first meeting in London on March 17 to strengthen trade relations between the Philippines and the UK, which had a total trade value of £2.8 billion as of the third quarter of 2024.
