By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter
SWITZERLAND is seeking reforms to ease the process of importing pharmaceuticals into the Philippines, citing the need to expand Swiss firms’ product offerings.
Ana Maria Theresa L. Japlos, economic and trade advisor at the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau, said pharmaceuticals are “one of the strongest sectors for Swiss companies in the Philippines, (which are hoping) to have regulations and legislation that will allow them to bring in more products,” she told BusinessWorld late on Tuesday.
Ms. Japlos said the embassy is in talks with government agencies to fast-track the approval of Swiss medicines and technologies for entry into the Philippine market.
“We are coordinating with DoH (Department of Health) and PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) to try and have a lot of the medicines to be included in its coverage… especially with regard to breast cancer treatments,” she noted.
Ms. Japlos said the fighting in the Persian Gulf is likely to affect trade activity between the Philippines and Switzerland.
“We have a lot of products that we import and export but if the fuel crisis continues, the logistical challenges will play a big role,” she said.
Global oil prices have risen since fighting in the Middle East broke out, with Brent crude averaging around $105.53 per barrel as of April 13.
While the Middle East war currently has no direct impact on Philippine-Swiss trade, Ms. Japlos said she is “anticipating… some impact on exports and imports.”
“One of the possible impact is it might slow down the trade of products. It might also increase the cost of trading,” she noted.
Ms. Japlos noted that logistical issues could also affect Swiss investors’ expansion plans.
“We have a lot of Swiss companies interested in entering the Philippine market, but if it becomes challenging in terms of logistics, and if it becomes very expensive to bring in these technologies, it might create some lasting impact in terms of interest,” she said.
In 2025, bilateral trade between the Philippines and Switzerland, excluding gold, hit 520 million Swiss francs, up 1.36% from a year earlier.
Swiss trade goods bound for the Philippines include pharmaceuticals, cheese, chocolate, mechanical parts, clocks, and watches.
