China lifts suspension on 20 PH banana, mango exporters

China has lifted the suspension order on 20 Philippine banana and six mango exporters, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Friday.

The said local banana exporters were barred from shipping their produce to China over their failure to meet Chinese sanitary standards.

Only six out of 23 Philippine mango exporters are allowed to export to China.

Lopez told reporters Friday he was glad these exporters could now resume exporting to China.

He said China was the country’s second major trading partner, with total trade amounting to $17 billion.

“Our exports to China hit $6 billion in 2015 but this market still offers high growth potential as we establish better relations and considering that China’s total imports was about $2 trillion in 2015” he said.

Lopez said that another promising area would be investments from China.

“Their investment in the Philippines (investment promotion agencies-approved) dropped to only $32 million in 2015, while China’s total outward investments was about $130 billion in the same year,” he said.

“In re-establishing a region of peace in Asia, many are more optimistic in seeing trade and investment levels soar to greater heights,” he said.