Joint Statement on UK-Philippines Joint Economic and Trade Committee

On Tuesday 22 September 2026, the UK and the Philippines held the second Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) meeting.

The meeting was convened in Metro Manila and led by UK Minister of State for Trade, Anas Sarwar, of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty of the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry.

Minister Sarwar and Undersecretary Gepty endorsed a refreshed programme of work, enhancing collaboration in agriculture, energy, infrastructure and economic development, and discussed potential cooperation in grid modernisation, civil nuclear energy, trade digitalisation, and space.

The programme of work will be delivered over the next 12-18 months through the established sector working groups, and relevant government and private sector partners.

Minister Sarwar and Undersecretary Gepty highlighted the robust cooperation between the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), such as capacity building on precision breeding, anti-microbial resistance, fisheries, and food safety, among others, as well as support in the development of the regionalisation guidelines for African Swine Fever in the Philippines, vital for protections of UK pork exports.

Building on these accomplishments, they agreed to continue collaboration in facilitating market access for key agricultural exports, and expanding cooperation to aquaculture, biotechnology, animal and plant health, and climate resilient agriculture.

They welcomed agreement to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Agriculture Trade and Cooperation, consolidating all agricultural initiatives under a dedicated framework.