China Promises to Import Durian and Other Fruits From the PH

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has stated that China pledged to import durian and other tropical fruits from the Philippines as part of the effort to lessen the trade gap between the two countries.

President Marcos Jr. adds that China and the Philippines had been in the final stages of the rules and regulations for Philippine fruit importation, specifically durian, “to balance the trade situation that we have,”

“There has been created what we are now calling the ‘Durian Protocol’ because they are opening their trade to imports of durian and other agricultural products from the Philippines so that we can regress the imbalance in our imports and exports from China,” added President Marcos Jr.

China remains the largest trading partner of the Philippines.

The Philippine Statistics Authority data depicts the trade deficit of the Philippines with China was at $15.25 billion as of 2021.

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) stated that the protocols for the “phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh durians from the Philippines to China” were one of the topics covered under the 14 bilateral agreements signed during the state visit.

China had pledged to fruits from the Philippines including bananas and coconuts worth over $2.09 billion according to the OPS.

President Marcos Jr. had mentioned to the Chinese business delegation that Davao durian growers “have long waited for this opportunity and are ready to meet the demands of the Chinese market.”

Region XI or the Davao Region accounts for over 78% of the total durian harvest of the country.

Source: Inquirer