By Marjorie Gorospe
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA--The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) vowed to champion local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by making these businesses the primary consideration in the country’s international trade engagements and exports.
In the recent 43rd ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings in Indonesia, DTI chief Gregory Domingo proposed to explore avenues to help SMEs engage in exports easier by amending measures that will ease tariff treatment.
Domingo said he would like ASEAN officials and technical working groups to explore the possibility of reducing or revising the Rules of Origin (ROO) requirements for the export transactions of SMEs, which determine the country of origin of a product for international trade purposes.
He also hopes to discuss to the group on how ASEAN could develop a “self-certification” option for its exporters.
Self-certification is currently being practiced in the European Union (EU) and other developed economies.
With self-certification, exporters are allowed to certify themselves in terms of ROO compliance and product shipments that qualify for the partisan tariff rate under free trade agreement, once they get certified by authorities to possess the capacity and competence.
This could be possible depending on the outcome of the talks conducted between the ASEAN Economic Ministers and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the US ASEAN Business Council which were also held during the Indonesia meet.
The ABAC is the ASEAN’s primary vehicle for private sector feedback to boost the region's efforts towards economic integration, while the US ASEAN Business Council is the advocacy organization for American corporations within ASEAN.
