The US said it will continue its engagement with the Philippines and other countries that exclude or seemingly failed to recognize US motor standards.
It represents a significant trade barrier on the part of US automotive manufacturers, according to the latest report by the Office of the US Trade Representative
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that in the 2024 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, the US government specifically mentioned that the Philippines seemed to have excluded US vehicles built to conform to the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
The USTR said it would like to ensure that US exports of FMVSS-compliant vehicles gain access foreign markets including Colombia, Egypt, Laos, Morocco, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.
It assured trading partners that the FMVSS provides a high level of protection that matches or exceeds that of other countries.
The Philippine automotive market is dominated by Japanese-made vehicles, followed by Korean-made cars. China is catching up and intends to lead the electric vehicle market in the Philippines.
The report also flagged China, the EU, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey on agricultural export policies affecting US agricultural trade.
Some of the trade barriers include burdensome facility registration requirements, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that are not based on science and procedures and requirements for agricultural biotechnology approvals.
The NTE mentioned the EU for having disparate policies or procedures across member states.
Areas of concern include customs, labeling, agricultural biotechnology, packaging and packing waste, government procurement, investment, and intellectual property protection and enforcement.
The USTR report provides a comprehensive review of significant foreign barriers to US exports of goods and services, US foreign direct investment, and US electronic commerce in key export markets for the United States.