The United States’ decision to extend tariff exemptions on key Philippine agricultural exports, particularly tropical fruits, has lifted a major source of uncertainty for local agribusinesses, paving the nation’s path for renewed investments and expansion, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Wednesday.
Speaking on the second day of the 3rd Philippine Hydro Summit and Exhibition, Tiu Laurel said the exemptions cover products the US does not produce domestically such as bananas, pineapples and coconut products.
“The tariff extensions in the US are basically for tropical fruits. They’re not competing with their own products. I’m glad that the anxiety in our industries has eased. Our stakeholders are calmer and happier now,” he said.
The possibility of a 19-percent reciprocal tariff, although never actually imposed, had caused industry-wide uncertainty that stalled investment decisions. Tiu Laurel noted that investments stalled because nobody knew what lay ahead regarding the potential tariff.
With the US decision, which came via an Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump on Nov. 14, 2025, exporters now have the clarity and confidence to move forward. The DA said it will would its priorities with the new export opportunities.
“The President’s directive is to support all our export products and that will be our banner program for next year. Aside from producing more next year will be about exporting more,” Tiu Laurel said.
The exemptions cover coconut, coffee, tea, tropical fruits and juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, beef and selected fertilizers.
The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) welcomed the US tariff order.
PHILEXPORT president and chief executive Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. called the exemptions a “positive outcome of our sustained collaboration with key stakeholders and partners to convey the need for certain exemptions and maintain the competitiveness of Philippine exports, especially those products not locally produced in the US.”
PCCI president Enunina Mangio said the tariff relief is expected to boost demand for Philippine agricultural goods such as coconuts, pineapples, bananas, and mangoes, helping stabilize prices and benefiting farmers, exporters and rural communities nationwide.
Mangio said the exemptions would provide much-needed relief to exporters help safeguard jobs and strengthen the competitiveness of Philippine products in one of the country’s most important markets.
Based on 2024 trade data, the exempted agricultural products include coconut (copra) oil, both crude and non-crude, which remains the country’s top agricultural export to the US, various fruit juices, processed pineapples, desiccated coconuts, prepared or preserved coconut products, bananas other than pulp, dried guavas, mangoes, and mangosteen, frozen tuna fillets, rice wafer products, and a range of confectionery products.
Additional exempted commodities include coffee and tea, cocoa and spices, oranges, tomatoes, beef, and certain fertilizers.
Philippine trade data also show that semiconductor exports, with a value of $2.5 billion to $3 billion, remain exempt from reciprocal tariffs, supporting economic stability and reinforcing the country’s resilience in strategic industries.
“With the additional agricultural exemptions, a large portion of Philippine exports to the US will now be exempt from reciprocal tariffs. This announcement underscores the strong partnership between our countries and reinforces opportunities for Filipino enterprises to expand,” Mangio said.
PHILEXPORT and PCCI said they would continue to collaborate with the Department of Trade and Industry to strengthen US-Philippine trade relations and ensure Filipino businesses remain competitive in key markets.
