Business
Washington apples, cherries, and the secret formula to influx of trade to PH
Washington apples, cherries, and the secret formula to influx of trade to PH
SEATTLE — Political stability, the ease of doing business, and direct flights may just be the secret formula that will help boost trade relations between the Greater Seattle Partners (GSP) and Philippine business.
Josh Davis, senior vice president and chief economic development officer of GSP, has engaged hundreds of inbound business delegations, some of them from the Philippines, to catalyze jobs and investments, and has been cultivating cultural and business ties with over 40 countries.
“We have a new PAL!,” was how the GSP described the visit to Seattle of a team from Philippine Airlines (PAL) led by its President and Chief Operating Officer Stanley Ng to celebrate PAL’s new direct flight from Seattle to Manila.
“What was once our largest underserved market will now offer non-stop service, between SEA and MNL 3x weekly,” the GSP said in its Facebook page.
The Seattle region is home to more than 53,000 Filipinos.
“We expect this linkage to further strengthen our close bonds,” the GSP said.
Davis said agriculture and tourism are key areas where there are big opportunities for growth.
GSP’s total trade with the Philippines exceeded $1 billion in 2023. More than a quarter of its GDP consists of manufacturing, particularly of electronics, computer equipment, and aerospace parts.
Amazon, Remitly, and Bensussen Deutsch and Associates, have created hundreds of jobs in Davao, Central Visayas, and the National Capital Region with their investments on consumer products, information and communications technology, electronics, and financial services.
PAL is the first carrier to link the Philippines and the US Pacific Northwest with non-stop flights between Manila and Seattle, initially three times a week, or on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Seattle is PAL’s sixth destination in the US after San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and Guam.
“Our Manila-Seattle-Manila flights give us a valuable opportunity to promote our beautiful island country as a flourishing tourist and business destination for American travelers ,” Ng said.
Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the new non-stop service will help boost travel and tourism between the Philippines and the US.
Seattle, a high-tech business hub and thriving port city, is the gateway to various population centers in the states of Washington and Oregon, including Portland, Salem, Spokane, Tacoma, and Eugene.
The Seattle flights will add up to 60 tons of cargo capacity every week that is expected to contribute to increased trade and economic activity between GSP and its counterparts in the Philippines.
Over the last decade, the Seattle region has invested $16.1 billion in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-countries and created more than 16,000 jobs. In return, ASEAN countries have invested a total of $168 million in Seattle and provided job opportunities to hundreds of residents.
GSP companies such as Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks have accelerated progress and global connectivity.
The US State Department, together with the US Mission to ASEAN, and the East-West Center, organized a group of journalists from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for a coverage tour in Seattle and Washington, D.C. from October 26, to November 7, 2024.