By Ronnel Domingo
TWO Philippine furniture makers will split between

themselves P80 million, or $1.76 million, worth of orders Japanese buyers made during a furniture expo in Tokyo last November, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) said.

Craft Mill Inc. and Maze Manufacturing Co. were the only Filipino companies that joined in the International Furniture Fair Tokyo on Nov. 22-25, said Assistant Trade Secretary Felicitas Agoncillo-Reyes, head of CITEM.

Craft Mill makes gift and storage boxes, photo frames and other home and office items.

Maze Manufacturing makes contemporary furniture and home accessories.

“We were able to exceed the target sales even with only two companies joining the IFFT,” Reyes said. “The Philippine delegation bested other Southeast Asian participants mainly because of product design, which is the country’s lasting competitive edge.”

Reyes SAID buyers favored Philippine products in the IFFT for their visual appeal, functionality and natural appearance. With INQ7.net