Agreement

The Philippines-European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement (PH-EFTA FTA) is the second bilateral agreement the Philippines has entered into (after the PJEPA). The Agreement with the EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) was signed in Bern, Switzerland on April 28, 2016.

Implementing Executive Orders

The following Executive Order (EO) implements the Philippines’ tariff commitments under the PH-EFTA FTA:

1. (1) E.O. 61 (s. 2018) modifying the rates of import duty on certain imported articles in order to implement the Philippine tariff commitments pursuant to the free trade agreement the Philippines and the EFTA states.

Date of Full Implementation

2027

Overview of Tariff Commitments

With the entry into force of the Agreement, the EFTA States shall abolish all customs duties on imports of industrial products, including fish and other marine products, originating in the Philippines. The Philippines shall gradually eliminate customs duties on industrial products, including fish and other marine products originating in an EFTA State. Some product lines, notably in the area of fish and other marine products, are excluded from the tariff elimination or reduction. The tariff concessions for industrial products including fish and other marine products are found in Annexes II and III.

See Chapter 2 (Trade in goods) of the PH-EFTA Agreement.

The Agreement also provides for tariff concessions on both basic and processed agricultural products, as covered by the bilateral Annexes VIII to X of the Agreement. Specific provisions facilitating trade in fish and other marine products are included in a separate annex to the goods chapter (Annex V). Provisions abolishing export duties are contained in the Agreement, however, the Philippines have kept the possibility for such duties for logs, as set out in Annex IV.

See Chapter 3 (Trade in Agricultural Products) of the PH-EFTA Agreement.