Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque has led a joint meeting with top executives from the United States to boost the country’s business environment. The meeting focused on foreign investments and enhancing the ease of doing business.
In a news release on Friday, the DTI said the joint meeting with business leaders from the US Chamber of Commerce, US-ASEAN Business Council, and American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Week, which was held in Peru from Nov. 10 to 16.
Roque also presented critical legislative updates, including the recent signing of the CREATE More Law and the Public Service Act amendments.
She said they aim to simplify processes and offer attractive incentives for investors.
“We remain committed to reducing bureaucratic hurdles and creating a more conducive environment for your businesses,” she added.
During the engagements, Roque discussed responsible mining, agribusiness, renewable energy, and potential collaborations to provide small- and medium-sized enterprises with broader markets and assist them in their digital transformation.
The discussions also highlighted the Philippines’ interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and resuming free trade agreement (FTA) talks with key trading partners.
The CPTPP is an FTA among Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam.
She expressed optimism about a Philippine-US FTA and sought support from the US delegation.
