The 62 food and food-related Filipino firms generated total record sales of $655.145 million during their successful participation at the recent China’s largest import-themed trade show International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which organized the Philippine exhibitors at the CIIE from Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai, this was the highest sales recorded by the Philippines since China started the global import fair in 2018.
Of this total amount, 97 percent came from onsite sales and bulk purchase contracts, with three percent coming from online business matching activities.
Philippines registered sales of $128 million in 2018 and $256 million in 2019. Despite the pandemic, increased sales were generated both in 2020 and 2021.
At the forefront of the CIIE “Food Philippines” Pavilion design and conceptualization, the Center for International Trade, Expositions and Missions presented this year a unified one-country promotional approach featuring three brands – “Food Philippines”, “Coconut Philippines”, and the famous “Oishi” brand by Liwayway China, with a single storyline—a call to experience a “Festival of Island Flavors”.
For the first time, several Philippine coconut products were on display at the Coconut Philippines Pavilion. The Country is known worldwide to be a major producer and supplier of coconut oil, and the exhibits did not only showcase coconut oil in various forms, but also other innovative products made from coconut—the tree of life.
In his remarks during the opening of the CIIE, DTI Secretary Fred Pascual said “The Philippines’ participation in CIIE has become not only a practical response to opportunity, but an imperative to expand our international market, cement the Philippines’ reputation as a reliable sourcing destination for food, and introduce more quality food products into China’s mainstream markets.”
Pascual said the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) has also provided the much-needed tools in upskilling exporters to be fully equipped to join the exposition. “We have also partnered with the private sector through Liwayway China, which carries the highly renowned Oishi brand – a brand that is deeply cherished with fond memories both in the Philippines and in China, and a testament that quality products can truly be a bridge that connects our country, and our people,” he said.
The country’s participation is supported by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Shanghai, CITEM, Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai, and in partnership with our Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Agriculture Counsellor (OAC) in Beijing.
Additionally, the DTI, through its Trade Promotions Group (TPG) and the EMB also formed strategic linkages via signed cooperation intentions with two of China’s largest food chambers – the Beijing based China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA) and the Shanghai Food Association (SFA).
With both chambers having a combined number of 7,500 member companies, these cooperation arrangements will be vital to enhance cooperation between food exporters in the Philippines and Chinese food companies in areas of business matching, technical cooperation, and investments to boost capacities in food production.
TPG OIC, Assistant Secretary Glenn Peñaranda affirmed the importance of these agreements and commented that “We value the partnership with CFNA and SFA as we pursue increased collaboration in enhancing food trade. We hope that this can progress to deeper collaboration in the whole value chain in food production, processing, and marketing”.
Likewise, PTIC Shanghai Head Mario C. Tani noted that the amount of products the Philippines exports to China has vastly increased in the past five to six years, and sales were five times larger compared to the first time the Philippines has participated in the 2018 CIIE.