Qatari businessmen have reportedly shown keen interest in importing concrete aggregates from the Philippines to support the growing demand for cement required for several infrastructural and civil projects currently being executed as part of the 2006 Doha Asian Games, said Edsel T Custodio, Undersecretary for International Economic Relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs, here yesterday. He is heading a delegation from the Philippines visiting Qatar.

In an interview with The Peninsula, Custodio said, interest in such imports were shown during the meeting on Thursday between a visiting Philippines investment and economic delegation and members of the Qatar Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The Philippine delegation, he said, pointed out that concrete aggregates from that country cost only US$32 per metric tonne as compared to the US$96 per metric tonne that Qatar is currently paying for imports from a nearby GCC state. "Further, our concrete aggregates are of a very superior quality due to the kind of rocks used in the Philippines, in their manufacture. However, what remains is a logistical problem of shipping such large quantities to Qatar and we hope to negotiate these within the next few days," he added.
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