The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday expressed optimism on the possible consideration of the Japanese government to review its imposed tariffs on the country’s banana exports.

This as the Philippine delegation, led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., met on March 10 with Japan’s State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Hirofumi Takinami and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General and Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League Chairman Hiroshi Moriyama to propose a general review and secure “fairer trade environment” for the Philippines amid the changing global landscape.

In an interview, DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said Tiu Laurel was “optimistic” that the Japanese government would look into the Philippines’ tariff concerns.

Fresh banana exports from the Philippines has 18 percent tariff from April 1 to Sept. 30 and 8 percent during the Oct. 1 to March 31 period under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).

De Mesa said there are possible advantages considering that Japan remains as the Philippines’ top market for banana exports.

The latter accounts for 75 percent of the overall market share in Japan.

“Importante na mapababa iyong taripa na ini-impose ng Japan sa ating export bananas para masigurado na mas competitive iyong presyo ng saging sa (It’s important for the Japan-imposed tariffs will be reduced for our export bananas to ensure a competitive price of bananas in) Japan,” de Mesa said.

He said lower tariffs would further improve opportunities for banana producers.

“Iyong ating mga exporters mapalago pa lalo iyong industriya ng saging sa ating bansa (Our exporters can further boost our banana industry in the country),” de Mesa said.

Earlier, Tiu Laurel said an improved export environment would particularly benefit banana farmers in Mindanao.

“The Philippines takes great pride in being the leading supplier of fresh bananas to Japan. To sustain and expand this industry, we must push for tariff reductions on our bananas. This will not only attract greater investment in banana production but also drive poverty alleviation, job creation, and security in Mindanao,” he said in a statement on March 14.

As of Feb. 3, there are 841,304 registered banana farmers in the country according to the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.

In 2023, the Philippines exported over 41 percent or 985,461 metric tons (MT) of bananas to Japan, out of its total 2.35 million MT global banana exports. (PNA)