Dr. Martin Henkelmann, GPCCI Executive Director
Photo file/THEPHILBIZNEWS
By Alithea De Jesus
The recent launched of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) between the Philippines and Germany is a very promising development. While the inaugural meeting happened digitally last September 15, this further strengthens the Philippines-Germany bilateral and trade agreement.
The Philippines is represented by Dr. Ceferino Rodolfo Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and concurrently Managing Director of the Board of Investment Philippines, while Germany was represented by the Parliamentary State Secretary Marco Wanderwitz from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
As the JEC emphasizes the role of the private sector in the bilateral relations, it featured several companies and associations from both the Philippines and Germany such as IMI, Lufthansa Technik, DMCI Holdings, BAUER Spezialtiefbau, Continental, SEIPI and EBS.
GPCCI Executive Director Dr. Martin Henkelmann who had presented on the “Philippine-German Business Relations in Times of Covid-19 and EU-PH FTA Negotiations” highlighted: “The enhanced economic cooperation between the Philippines and Germany creates great business opportunities for the mutual benefit of the two countries and for the businesses involved.”
GPCCI President Stefan Schmitz also pointed out: “GPCCI stays committed to promoting the bilateral business relations despite these trying times.”
Germany is the top trading partner of the Philippines in the European Union (EU) with a total trade volume of EUR 6.5 billion in 2019.
The Joint Declaration of Intent to establish the JEC was signed in August 2019. The inaugural JEC meeting was now organized by DTI, BMWi, the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) together with the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV) and the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI).
