SPAIN expects to see a trade balance with the Philippines “in the near future,” with more Filipino products being allowed to be exported to the European Union tax-free.
This was the projection of Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Luis Antonio Calvo in an interview with the BusinessMirror at the sidelines of the Madrid Fusión Manila (MFM), which opened on Friday at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
“Trade between our countries is still favorable for Spain. We sell more things to you than import from the Philippines. But the tendency would be to go back to some kind of balance, because we’re going to import a lot from the Philippines. We are implementing a GSP [generalized system of preferences] Plus, which is a facility to allow you to export goods and services to the European market with no tariff. So, my understanding is, in the short term, we will tend to effect a point of balance and equilibrium,” he said.
According to the web site World’s Richest Countries, Spain’s exports to the Philippines amounted to $395.2 million in 2014. The top 10 Spain exports to the Philippines were perfumes and cosmetics, $107.9 million; aircraft and spacecraft, $41.4 million; meat, $37.9 million; alcoholic beverages, $33.9 million; plastics, $29.2 million; machines, engines, pumps, $18.5 million; pharmaceuticals, $16.1 million; clothing (not knit or crochet), $13.6 million; food waste, animal fodder, $12 million; and ceramic products, $9.5 million.
On the other hand, Philippine exports to Spain amounted to $158.3 million in 2014, accounting for 0.3 percent of its total exports. Its top exports to Spain are electronic equipment, $30.9 million; animal/vegetable fats and oils, $17.2 million; fish, $13.1 million; vegetable/fruit preparations, $12.3 million; oil seed, $11.5 million; machines, engines, pumps, $10.7 million; organic chemicals, $10.1 million; aircraft and spacecraft, $7.8 million; soaps, lubricants, candles, $5.1 million; and knit or crochet clothing, $4.7 million.
In her remarks at the media briefing for MFM on Thursday, Rosa Angulo, director for food and wine of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEEX), said, “20 Spanish companies, 40 wineries and two Philippine importers are participating in the trade exhibit.”
She said the MFM was a good opportunity for more Spanish goods to be sold to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Calvo said “there’s no better place than Manila to showcase a fusion of cultures,” as he explained the reason for the staging of the very first Madrid Fusión outside of Spain.
“So far it’s proceeding very well,” he said, adding that “other countries would be jealous of our cultural blend which represents our cultural legacy.” The Spanish ambassador earlier joined Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez and executives of Madrid Fusión organizers in opening the International Gastronomy Congress by lighting a giant palayok on stage.
Thereafter, Calvo and Jimenez opened the trade exhibit by slicing into a jamon and chopping a lechon, respectively.
The ambassador said the MFM is “an opportunity for both our countries and to share our experience in Spain in incorporating food and gastronomy as a touristic asset for the Philippines.”
He said if the Philippines were to incorporate food and gastronomy in its promotions to foreign travelers, along with its beautiful sites and cultural landmarks, “it will strengthen your offer as a tourist destination.”
Spain, for instance, set up Saborea España (Tasting Spain), a public and private association dedicated to promote food tourism in Spain.
In its 2012 global report on Food Tourism, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said: “Gastronomic tourism is a local phenomenon of universal scope that is in a clear growth phase; it has a positive impact on the economy, employment and local heritage, as tourists seek to get to know not only the local food but also to know its origin and production processes, making it an expression of cultural tourism; it has great potential for expansion as a main motivation for tourism trips and although this type of tourism is still practised by a minority of tourists, the fact is that it is attracting a very select type of tourist with a high volume of expenditure on very high-quality products, and last, the development of gastronomic tourism contributes to improving the general perception of the destination.”