The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) met with the Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. to further reinforce the growing UK-Philippine trade relations and discussed trading mechanisms and other trade agreements, such as the recent preparatory discussions of the Philippines under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trading bloc that the UK has acceded to in December 2024.
The Philippine-UK total trade in goods and services stands at £3.2 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q4 2025, an increase of 4.7% in the previous period.
The Chamber also identified agriculture as one of the strongest pillars of UK-Philippines trade, with British meat and meat preparations continuing to post a solid export performance with exports valued at £29.6 million, underscoring sustained demand for British agricultural products in the Philippine market.
Since 2021, the Chamber has strengthened its collaboration with the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to expand market access for British pork and beef. Recent AHDB data showed that UK pork exports to the Philippines grew by 8.6% in volume in the year to April 2026.
The Chamber likewise welcomed the Philippine government’s decision to raise the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for pork imports in 2026 from 54,210 metric tons to 204,210 metric tons, describing the measure as an important step toward maintaining a stable supply and helping manage food prices.
In an official statement, UK Deputy Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific (Southeast Asia) Rhiannon Harries noted that these discussions may present more investment and growth opportunities by adding that, “We have strongly supported the Philippines’ application. If the Philippines completes the process and joins the agreement, businesses in our countries would benefit from lower tariffs, simpler trading rules, and stronger supply chains.”
Meanwhile, BCCP Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson also welcomed the efforts by the UK government, the British Embassy Manila, the Department of Trade and Industry and other key stakeholders and noted that, “We often emphasize that the Philippines is a gateway to Southeast Asia. Its participation in RCEP and application to CPTPP are both positive developments that attract UK businesses looking to expand regionally.”
Looking ahead, Nelson further welcomed sustained engagements with the Department of Agriculture and relevant stakeholders during the formulation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the expanded MAV. He also reiterated the Chamber’s support for legislative measures that would strengthen the country’s investment climate, particularly the Digital Payments Act, Cybersecurity Act, Open Finance Act and Blue Economy Act.
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