The Philippines will export a second shipment of mangoes to Australia this month, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced on April 6.

This coming shipment contains 3,000 kilograms of mangoes sourced from Zambales, to be shipped to Sydney and Perth, Australia.

Additional shipments are expected to follow in the next two to three weeks, with another possible shipment in June, said the DTI in a Viber message. The last shipment for the year will be around August or September before the start of the mango season in Australia, it added. 

The initial shipment of 1,500 kilograms of Carabao mangoes was exported to Sydney and Perth in early September last year for the first time since 2013, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The DTI said the mango shipment to Australia will also be operated by its initial shipping partner Sydney-based logistics firm FastboxPH.

"The overwhelmingly positive response to our initial shipment last year has paved the way for a triumphant return of Philippine mangoes to Australian tables this April. We are steadfast in our commitment to making Philippine mangoes a household staple in Australia," said FastboxPH Managing Director Miguel Ripoll, noting the "surge in demand" of the fruits in the Australian market.

Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual in a statement remarked that the "successful export of our mangoes exemplifies the significant strides we're making in facilitating agricultural trade, which is pivotal for our economic agenda."

DTI's data indicated that trade volume between the Philippines and Australia surged by 20 percent to $4.1 billion in 2023 from $3.4 billion in 2022, which underscores the "vast potential for our products in the Australian market," Pascual added.

The Philippines was listed as the 57th importer of mangoes out of 192 countries in the world in 2022, with the top supplier being the United States, as per data from the DTI.

In a Viber message to reporters on April 6, Pascual said that they expect an increase in trade given the market access to Australia.

"For Australia, with the market access, we can expect increase in trade. Our challenge would be on the production side. We will check the  status of our Mango industry. For DTI, we would like to provide enhanced market access for our stakeholders/exporters to many countries as much as possible even the non-traditional partners. For this year, we are working on an FTA with EU (European Union), UAE (United Arab Emirates), and Canada under the ASEAN Canada free trade agreement (FTA) negotiation," explained the DTI chief.

DTI's overseas arm Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Sydney (PTIC-Sydney) oversaw the promotion of Philippine products, especially agriculture goods, in Australia.

Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega added that, "the Philippines and Australia share a strong commitment to fostering trade ties, and the arrival of our mangoes signifies a delightful milestone in our partnership, especially as we celebrate Filipino Food Month in April."

The agency is working towards strengthening trade and investment ties with Australia. Last Feb. 14, the Philippines signed the Second Protocol of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). 
 
Upon entry into force of AANZFTA, "tariffs will be progressively reduced and eliminated for at least 90 percent of all tariff lines within specified timelines," including liberalized trade processes, protection of covered investments, and facilitation of movement of goods and persons.

Aside from the Philippines, parties to the AANZFTA are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.