PH lifts restrictions on entry of US veggies

The value of shipments of fresh vegetables from the United States are expected to balloon to $1 million yearly within two years after the Philippines scrapped import curbs last June 30.

According to the US embassy, the lifting of restrictions covered temperate climate vegetables such as celery, lettuce and cruciferous vegetables.

Among the most common cruciferous vegetables that Filipinos consume are cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

“In the midst of the Philippine rainy season, when temperate climate vegetables are especially scarce, this is welcome news for Filipino and American entrepreneurs and consumers alike,” the embassy said in a statement.

Based on an agreement between Manila and Washington, all incoming shipments of fresh vegetables from the United States will have a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Aphis), which is supervised by the US Department of Agriculture.

“This is to verify that the shipments meet all the stipulations of the Plant Quarantine SPS [Sanitary and Phytosanitary] Import Clearance,” the embassy said. “As with all fresh vegetable trade, importers will be required to obtain an SPS Import Permit from the Philippine DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry.”

According to the embassy, American producers shipped to the Philippines only $57,000 worth of fresh vegetables – mostly celery—in 2013, when access to the local market was limited.

Considering that these vegetables are difficult to grow locally, the embassy said opening up of the market would relieve shortages and “deepen” agricultural ties between the Philippines and the United States.

The lifting of the restrictions came following years of pushing from Washington.

Last year, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) in its 2013 Report expressed “concern with the length of time for the Philippines to complete pest risk assessments (PRAs) for its fresh produce.”

A request for a PRA on US-grown broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, cabbage and celery was filed in 2006, and for fresh potatoes in 2009.

The USTR said the Philippine DA sent feedback only in 2011, which the United States still needed to evaluate.

In this year’s SPS report, the USTR noted that the Philippine DA required local importers to obtain an SPS permit that they need to transmit to the exporter from the source country before any shipment could be made.

“This requirement adds costs, complicates the timing of exports, and prevents the transhipments of products to the Philippines originally intended for other markets,” the USTR said.

“It also prevents an exporter from reselling product if the importer refuses to accept delivery or abandons the shipment,” it added. “The United States will continue to engage with the Philippines to address this issue.”