PH, Canada hit breakthrough on free trade agreement
Manila and Ottawa have resolved major roadblocks to a landmark free trade agreement (FTA) during the fourth round of negotiations earlier this month, putting the deal on track for conclusion before year-end.
That leaves both parties with only “very few remaining issues” to resolve in the coming months through smaller meetings and online exchanges, with no further full negotiation round planned, Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty said.
“We’re almost close,” Gepty told reporters, adding that substantial progress had been made during the fourth and final full round of negotiations held in Toronto from Sept. 8 to Sept. 11.
According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the latest round focused on text-based negotiations and market access discussions.
As in earlier FTA talks with the European Union and Chile, market access for agricultural goods proved a sticking point with Canada, Gepty noted.
“[It’s] very common in the market access, especially when you talk about sensitive products like agricultural products. That is quite understandable,” he said.
The negotiations are set to get another push as Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu visits Manila from Sept. 21 to Sept. 22 for consultations between the economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Canada.
During the visit, Sidhu also plans to take up separate FTA negotiations between Canada and Asean. Before heading to Manila, he will also travel to Mumbai to advance talks on the Canada-India comprehensive economic partnership agreement.
“India, Asean, and the Philippines are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. I will be meeting with government and business leaders to strengthen our trade relationships and attract new investment to Canada,” Sidhu said in a statement.
“We already have preferential access to a market of 1.5 billion consumers, and by concluding agreements with these partners, we will double that reach to 3 billion,” he added.
Negotiations for the Philippines-Canada FTA began only in February. Talks have covered market access for goods, services, business mobility, investment, intellectual property and legal provisions, including anti-corruption measures.
In 2025, Canada ranked as the Philippines’ 18th-largest export market, taking in $1.31 billion worth of goods, equivalent to 1.5 percent of the latter’s exports. Bilateral trade reached $2.15 billion, making Canada the country’s 16th-largest trading partner.
Once concluded, the agreement will become the Philippines’ first bilateral FTA with a North American country.
