Stakeholder debrief report – First Canada-Philippines FTA negotiation round
February 18-20, 2026 (Manila)
General overview
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Philippines’ President Marcos announced the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations on October 27, 2025, with the goal to conclude a bilateral Canada-Philippines FTA in 2026. The first round of FTA negotiations took place in Manila, Philippines, from February 18-20, 2026. The following tables met for the round:
- National Treatment and Market Access for Goods
- Trade in Services
- Temporary Movement of Business Persons
- Investment
- Intellectual Property
- Legal and Institutional Issues
The first round was led by Canada's Chief Negotiator, Mary-Catherine Speirs, Director General, Trade Negotiations Bureau, Global Affairs Canada and the Philippines’ Chief Negotiator, Allen B. Gepty, Undersecretary, Philippines Department of Trade and Industry.
Key takeaways from the first round
- Canada and the Philippines engaged constructively, and both sides demonstrated a commitment to conclude a commercially-beneficial agreement in 2026.
- Positive results were achieved across all tables that met.
- Tables reviewed all draft negotiating text, began to quickly identify commonalities, closed text in several areas, and began isolating areas requiring further focus and technical work.
The second round of negotiations will take place in Manila, Philippines, April 13–17 with a larger number of negotiating tables expected to participate.
Key developments from the tables that met
National Treatment and Market Access negotiators reviewed the entire draft chapter text and achieved preliminary agreement in some areas. Negotiators discussed market access interests and agreed on the timely exchange of data and first tariffs requests, to support early engagement in market access negotiations.
For Cross-Border Trade in Services, a number of definitions and substantive articles were closed. Negotiators agreed to align the initial exchange of non-conforming measures schedules with Investment.
Investment negotiators reached agreement on critical definitions and several substantive provisions, as well as on important architectural questions impacting the scheduling of non-conforming measures. The exchange of non-conforming measures schedules will be coordinated with the Services table, possibly after the second round.
The Temporary Movement of Business Persons (TMBP) and Intellectual Property tables closed a significant portion of negotiating text. TMBP negotiators agreed to exchange initial market access offers before the second round.
The Legal and Institutional table closed most of the anti-corruption section under the Transparency, Anti-Corruption and Responsible Business Conduct chapter, confirmed the articles included in the General Provisions and Exceptions chapter, and made appreciable progress on the Dispute Settlement chapter.
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