Start Date
Jun 01, 2026 at 9:00 AM
End Date
Jun 01, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Location
Manila, Philipphines
Venue
Manila, Philipphines
The RCEP Business Advisory Council (RBAC) delegation participated in the RBAC–RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) Dialogue held on June 1, 2026 in Manila, Philippines, providing a valuable platform for the private sector to engage directly with RCEP Senior Economic Officials on key implementation challenges and future priorities for the agreement.
The RBAC delegation comprised Ms. Melanie Ng, representing Mr. Jay Y. Yuvallos, EABC Chair; Mr. Gil Gonzales, Senior Advisor to EABC Philippines; Mr. Yasufumi Otaki of EABC Japan/JETRO; and Mr. Tetsuya Matsuoka, EABC Co-Chair (Japan), who joined virtually.
The dialogue was highly productive, with RBAC's priority recommendations receiving strong support and positive feedback from the Indonesian Chair, New Zealand Vice Chair, Philippine Senior Economic Official Meeting (SEOM) representative, and Japan. Several RBAC initiatives were recognised as impactful contributions towards enhancing RCEP utilisation, strengthening regional trade facilitation, and improving business engagement across the region.
Key discussion points and outcomes included:
- AI-Powered RCEP Chatbot Initiative
- RCEP Business and Investment Summit
- RCEP Utilisation Challenges and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs)
- Institutionalising RBAC Engagement with RCEP Ministers
- Acceptance of PDF Rules of Origin (ROOs)
- Improving RCEP Utilisation Reporting Framework
- RBAC Participation in the RCEP Review Process
The positive reception of RBAC's recommendations and initiatives reflects the growing recognition of the Council's role as the voice of the regional business community. The outcomes of the dialogue further strengthen RBAC's position as a key stakeholder in supporting the effective implementation, continuous improvement, and future development of RCEP, while ensuring that the perspectives of businesses are meaningfully incorporated into regional trade policy discussions.
