MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines may impose stricter trade measures against Indonesia after the ASEAN neighboring country decided not to ease up on its protocols and open their market access. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the trade negotiations between the two countries did not yield positive results for the Philippines last month. The Philippines recently asked Indonesia to ease up on its protocols and settle the restrictions and disparity in trade imbalance. Government data showed that Indonesia exports $1 billion worth of agricultural products to the Philippines mainly palm oil, while allowing only a measly $50 million of exports from the Philippines. The Philippines used to export a huge volume of horticultural products to Indonesia, including shallots and tobacco, but restrictive import policies imposed tilted the trade balance in favor of Indonesia.

Source: Philippine Star January 08, 2019 16:01 UTC