DTI Undersecretary Terrado Promotes PH-EFTA FTA in Oslo

Undersecretary Terrado (center), Ambassador Batoon-Garcia (4^th from left), Senior Adviser Larissa Kosanovic of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (3^rd from left), Director General Farberg of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (5^th from left), representatives from the Oslo Chamber of Commerce, Innovation Norway, Norwegian Seafood Federation, and Norwegian Seafood Council, and members of the Philippine Embassy and PTIC Stockholm

OSLO 02 May 2018 — Undersecretary Nora Terrado of the Department of Trade and Industry, Trade and Investments Promotion Group (DTI-TIPG) headed to Oslo, Norway, to promote the benefits of the recently ratified Philippines-European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement (PH-EFTA FTA) to EFTA countries. The EFTA, a regional trade organization, consists of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

During the Business Information Session on the PH-EFTA FTA held at the Philippine Embassy in Oslo, Undersecretary Terrado explained the steps for the implementation of the PH-EFTA FTA and stressed that the FTA will facilitate the export of Norwegian salmon to the Philippines, while the Philippines will benefit in its export of tuna to Norwegian markets.

Director General Jan Farberg of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, welcomed the implementation of the PH-EFTA FTA upon its effectivity in 1 June 2018, and committed to cascade the information on the PH-EFTA FTA to other trade-related institutions and business councils in Norway.

In her meeting with the Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA), Undersecretary Terrado discussed economic opportunities under the PH-EFTA FTA, particularly in the maritime sector. The PH-EFTA FTA has a special Annex on Maritime Transport and Related Services. Mr. Harald Solberg, CEO of the NSA, expressed appreciation of Filipino seafarers, and mentioned that the Filipinos are the most important nationality on board Norwegian ships.

In order to get an overview of Philippine products sold in Norwegian grocery stores, Undersecretary Terrado also visited the Asian Food Import AS, a leading importer and distributor of Asian products in Norway.

The Undersecretary capped off her one day visit to Oslo, by meeting members of the Filipino community at the Philippine Embassy, and presenting the DTI’s “Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan” program. She encouraged the attendees, who were mostly Filipino women who had businesses in Oslo, to not only be Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), but strive to become Overseas Filipino Entrepreneurs (OFEs) and Overseas Filipino Investors (OFIs). END

For more information, visit www.oslope.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philembassy.no or https://www.facebook.com/philembassy.no.

Ambassador Batoon-Garcia (2^nd from left), Undersecretary Terrado (4^th from left), and Trade Officer for the Nordic countries Ms. Hedfors, with NSA’s CEO Mr. Solberg, Director Charlotte Strøm, and Director Erik Gjerdene

Market scan of a products in Oslo, with Mr. Hai Train, CFO of Asian Food Import AS

Filipino women entrepreneurs in Oslo listen to Ambassador Batoon-Garcia and Undersecretary Terrado on how they can participate in DTI’s “Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan” program