The Economic partnership between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Philippines has signed a historic bilateral trade and investment agreement, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is a significant achievement in the bilateral trade and investment relationship. The historic agreement signed in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 summit in the UAE was the first free trade agreement that Manila has ever signed with a country in the Middle East.
Key Trade Boost and Opportunities
CEPA will reduce or remove tariffs, increase the accessibility of the Filipino goods and services in the market, and promote investment and mobility of professionals between the two countries. The main areas of focus, which are likely to be positively impacted, are agriculture exports, e-commerce, and services, as well as providing access to the further Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market to the Philippines.
The consensus is an indication of the strengthening of the economic relationships and commitment to the future of expansion and strengthening collaboration beyond the conventional energy and labor connections.
