PCCI cheers signing of PH-UAE free trade pact 

Businesses welcomed the signing of a landmark free trade agreement between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying the pact could expand global market access, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) hailed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa). It is the Philippines’ first trade pact with a Middle Eastern country.

The PCCI said the agreement would strengthen trade ties with the UAE while opening investment pathways into the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

“With CEPA, exporters, investors and SMEs now have a stronger platform to grow not only in the UAE but across the wider Middle East and beyond,” PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer said.

A key provision of the deal is the preferential tariff treatment for about 95 percent of Philippine exports to the UAE. This is expected to help manufacturers expand exports, scale up production and generate more jobs at home.

The PCCI said the agreement could also reduce the Philippines’ reliance on a small pool of traditional export markets.

See Also

Final pay of employees

“By opening new channels through the UAE’s logistics and re-export networks, CEPA makes Philippine trade more resilient and better positioned for long-term growth,” Ferrer said.

Investments expected to flow from the agreement could also support job creation in manufacturing, infrastructure, digital trade and energy, the PCCI said.

The pact also covers cooperation in priority areas such as digital trade, MSMEs, trade and sustainable development, intellectual property rights protection, competition and consumer protection, government procurement, and economic and technical cooperation.