SUMENTRO sa nuclear energy cooperation at trade relations sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos ang naging pagpupulong ng delegasyon ng Pilipinas na pinangunahan ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez kay Rep. Gary Palmer ng ika-anim na distrito ng Alabama sa Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. noong Abril 16 (oras sa Amerika).

Si Palmer ay miyembro ng U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce at ng Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Binuksan ni Speaker Romualdez ang dayalogo upang igiit ang kahalagahan ng 123 Agreement, isang civil nuclear deal na pinasok ng Amerika at Pilipinas noong Nobyembre 2023 na naglalayong payagan ang paglilipat ng nuclear energy-related materials at component nito sa dalawang bansa.

“The 123 Agreement lays the legal framework for potential nuclear power projects with U.S. providers and paving the way for streamlining the licensing requirements for the private sector with respect to investments on nuclear-related intangible transfers of technology,” ani Speaker Romualdez.

Kasama ni Speaker Romualdez sa pagpupulong sina Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez, Agusan del Norte Rep. Jose “Joboy”Aquino II, House Secretary General Reginald “Reggie” Velasco, Deputy Secretary General David Robert Amorin, at Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano.

Ang kasunduan ay nilagdaan ni U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla sa sideline ng 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit sa San Francisco, na sinaksihan ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.

Ang negosasyon para sa 123 Agreement ay sinimulan noong Nobyembre 2022 nang bumisita sa Pilipinas si U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Sa usaping pangkalakalan, binigyan-diin ni Speaker Romualdez ang kahalagahan na muling payagan ang Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program na nagtapos na noong Disyembre 31, 2020.

Ang GSP ang pinakamalaking U.S. trade preference program na nagbibigay ng nonreciprocal, duty-free treatment sa mga developing country upang makatulong sa paglago ng ekonomiya.

“Before the GSP program lapsed, the Philippines exported more than $2 billion worth of goods tax-free to the U.S. annually through the program,” sabi ni Speaker Romualdez.

“The program has been instrumental in creating jobs and investments in export manufacturing, benefiting both economies,” dagdag pa nito.

Ayon kay Speaker Romualdez makikinabang ang mga Amerikano na bibili ng GSP product dahil sa duty-free status nito.

“This will lead to decreased prices in the U.S. for these products and commodities, thereby easing inflation,” sabi pa ng lider ng Kamara na mayroong mahigit 300 miyembro.

Tinalakay din sa pagpupulong ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng Free Trade Agreement at iginiit ang kahalagahan ng innovative sectoral arrangements.

“We need to leverage Philippine resources and U.S. technologies and investments, particularly in critical minerals to support the electric vehicle industry and the broader transition to clean energy, including nuclear energy,” sabi pa nito.

“With your support, we can make more progress in this area of our cooperation,” sabi ni Speaker Romualdez kay Rep. Palmer.