Philippines: Determinants of Wheat Import Demand

The Philippines relies entirely on imports to meet all of its wheat demand. Wheat marketing and distribution have been controlled by the private sector since 1986. The milling industry consists of 2 milling associations and 12 mills. The key factor in wheat importers' purchasing decisions is the price of wheat, with quality being the second most important factor. Between two high-quality sources, price is the more important factor; however, between an inferior and superior source, quality factors override price considerations. Protein and moisture are the most important quality characteristics. In general, dockage was not listed as one of the top five quality factors determining the country supplier. Selling cleaner U.S. wheat would result in possible premiums, although the amount of the premium is not known. In terms of the trade effects of cleaner U.S. wheat, all millers indicated that lower dockage levels, at the current price, would not result in an increase in demand for U.S. wheat imports in the short term.