During its 2025 Media Appreciation Luncheon on 10 December, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) highlighted its continued commitment to strengthening agricultural trade between the UK and the Philippines and welcomed the discussions relating to minimum access volume (MAV).

BCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson highlights agriculture as a key sector with its continued collaboration with the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and local importers. He notes that AHDB connections provide longer term contacts, enhancing the meat trade partnerships between the UK and the Philippines, having organized a total of eight trade missions since 2021.

Nelson drew attention to the current Philippine pork landscape, noting that African Swine Fever has greatly affected domestic supply. “We should be doing as much as possible to make supply as freely available so the Philippine consumer has access to quality pork whether it’s from the UK or other countries or local, and that your prices remain stable… which is one key factor,” he emphasised. From January to September of 2025, the UK has exported 15,372,030 kgs of pork to the Philippines, and this number is likely to increase with the coming year.

Nelson also welcomed the discussions on MAV, and remains open to revisiting the MAV rules through a more thorough study, mindful of the Philippines’ population growth. According to Nelson, MAV rules and allocation should be aligned to cater the country’s population, citing the significant increase from the population in the 1990s, where the initial MAV level was introduced.

He added that, “The Chamber looks forward to the full discussion of the MAV committee and stabilizing imports flow to support food security.” Nelson also cited how the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) will further encourage government-to-government collaboration in various areas to further drive British exports as well as animal disease detection and antimicrobial resistance.

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