Trade & Investment

The Philippines is a key bridge between the Americas and Asia, making it a natural conduit for global trade flows. The country also has some of the strongest economic growth rates in the Asia-Pacific region, with growth at 6% or more for 16 out of the 20 quarters between 2014 and March 2019. The nation will continue to have considerable demand for imports as major public infrastructure projects are rolled out and industries expand and move towards higher value-added products. Demand for intermediate goods, as well as building materials and finished products, is therefore high. At the same time, insufficient upstream output of oil, gas and coal means that energy imports are also growing as the economy expands. This chapter also contains interviews with Charito Plaza, Director-General, Philippine Economic Zone Authority; and Allard Nooy, CEO, InfraCo Asia.