THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hopes to bring about 70 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) 2019 to help them tap these regional markets.
In a statement Tuesday, DTI said under the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the companies will be featured in the four-day expo from Sept. 20 to 23. Their products will include home goods, fashion and wearables, gifts, handicrafts, personal care, and food, as well as the cultural tourism sector and various businesses classified as investment priorities.
“We are forming a Philippine delegation composed of exporting companies and representatives from the public and private sectors at CAEXPO to promote the best of the Philippines and streamline efforts to strengthen the country’s economic ties with China, ASEAN nations and other partner regions,” CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan said in the statement.
The delegation includes the participating companies, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Guangzhou, the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), the DTI Regional Operations Group (ROG), the Board of Investments (BoI), the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), and local government units.
CAEXPO, started in 2004, is intended to lay the groundwork for a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area). In 2018, 2,700 exhibitors attended the expo, with 96,000 buyers and visitors from across the world.
The Philippines has been participating since 2004. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang
