By Antonio Colina DAVAO CITY – Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) urged President Rodrigo R. Duterte to discuss with the Japanese government the reduction or elimination of the hefty tariff rates on the Cavendish bananas during his visit to Japan this month. The President is set to leave for Japan to attend the two-day 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia on May 30 to 31. “I really hope they will be able to discuss the reduction or total elimination of tariffs imposed on our bananas entering Japan,” PBGEA executive director Stephen Antig said. Antig said the banana export industry of the Philippines would lose the competition in the Japanese market if the imposition of tariff rates at 8 percent during summer and a maximum of 18 percent during winter continue compared with competitors that enjoy zero tariff rates. “We will not be competitive in the Japanese markets if our competitors are enjoying zero tariffs on their goods while we are not,” he said. He added the banana industry would “suffer and might even collapse if we cannot replace markets lost due to high tariffs.” According to the data released by the PBGEA, the Cavendish bananas export to Japan last year reached 635,962 metric tons, an increase of 6.8 percent compared with 595,677 MT in 2017.