The Philippine furniture and home décors sector is strengthening its bid to to get a bigger chunk of Germany’s market through the country participation in the upcoming Ambiente 2019 this February.

The German economy is the world’s fourth largest and accounts for more than one-fifth of the European Union’s (EU) gross domestic product, it is also the largest consumer market in the EU with a population of 82.3 million. Recognizing the significance of the German marketplace, the Philippines targets Germany as one of its major export destinations.

According to the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) Germany offers an enormous volume as two-thirds of the world’s leading trade fairs take place in Germany, which hosts around 150 international trade fairs each year for an estimated 180,000 exhibitors and 10 million visitors. These include the MEDICA, the Hannover Fair, Automechanica, Ambiente and the ITB Tourism Show. The volume of trade, number of consumers and Germany’s geographic location at the center of the European Union makes it a cornerstone for countries such as the Philippines to shape their European and worldwide expansion strategies.

The effectiveness of the country’s bid to get a slice of the German trade was evident as the Philippines exports to Germany generated USD 2.62Billion last 2017, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade.

The same also reported that the country’s furniture and lighting industry generated USD 26.04M in 2017.

“The Philippines is doing very well in exporting to Germany, especially in electronics. It is high time that we fully offer our other areas of expertise such as our high-quality consumer products in the home and décor sector,” said Pauline Suaco-Juan, Executive Director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

“Moreover, the country’s focus to target Germany will not go to waste as “Made in the Philippines” products get a boost from EU-GSP+,” added Suaco-Juan.

Philippine producers can take advantage of the preferential trade arrangements and export more than 6,000 products to any of the 28-member countries of the EU at zero tariff using the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+). Products that may avail of the duty-free access include coconut and marine products, processed fruit, prepared food, animal and vegetable fats and oils, textiles, garments, headwear, footwear, furniture, umbrellas, and chemicals.

In addition, the Philippines is the EU’s 6th largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations while the EU is the country’s 4th largest trading partner, According to the European Commission.

Philippine furniture and décor sector goes to Germany

This coming 8-12 February 2019, LifestylePhilippines will once again champion sustainable design in Ambiente to be held at Messe Frankfurt, Germany. Filipino artisan communities will showcase export quality pieces derived from different natural resources abundant in the Philippines such as mother of pearl, abaca (Manila hemp), raffia, rattan and other plant fibers. These renewable resources are transformed into unique, functional products that reflect the exquisite Filipino design sustainability.

“With 209 square meters of display area, this year is the country’s biggest participation so far as 24 strong exhibitors from the home décor and houseware, lamps and lighting and gifts and seasonal décor sectors will be joining us,” added Suaco-Juan.

Home furnishings by Masaeco are among the exhibitors to watch out for in Ambiente, Germany.

Sen Loren Legarda, one of the avid supporters of the Philippines’ bid to capture the lucrative German market helped in securing funding for Germany trade participations such as Electronica and Automechanica in 2018, and Ambiente for home and furnishings this 2019.

The Philippine participation in Ambiente is organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through its export promotion arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), in partnership with the office of Sen. Loren Legarda and Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) – Berlin.♦

Date of release: 30 January 2019