The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) expects inbound shipments to maintain their growth momentum in 2026 after surpassing the revised 2025 target on the back of the strong performance in the closing months.
PHILEXPORT president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the late-2025 surge in exports provides a firm base for reaching the revised total export target of $134.35 billion in 2026, despite lingering uncertainty in global demand.
“Our export performance in the past four months has been encouraging amid generally bearish global conditions. At this pace, we have already exceeded the revised 2025 goods export target of $73.27 billion, contributing to the overall export goal of $129.05 billion,” Ortiz-Luis said.
Trade data showed that Philippine merchandise exports grew 14.5 percent year-on-year to $77.4 billion as of end-November 2025, surpassing the $73.27 billion recorded for the full year in 2024.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque said exports in November 2025 alone climbed 21.3 percent to $6.9 billion, led by electronics, agro-based products and consumer goods.
This marked the 11th consecutive month of export growth and the third straight month of double-digit expansion.
The DTI said the stronger export performance helped narrow the trade deficit by 9.9 percent as import growth moderated.
Electronics exports surged 50.6 percent to $4.2 billion in November, while coconut products rose 27.1 percent to more than $70 million.
Banana and pineapple juice exports increased 38.8 percent and 40 percent respectively, with combined earnings of $46 million.
Gold exports climbed 50.7 percent to $181.8 million, while machinery and transport equipment grew 29.4 percent to $317 million.
Non-food consumer goods also posted broad-based gains, led by furniture and fixtures, up 65.9 percent; footwear, up 28.6 percent; travel goods, up 28.3 percent; and garments, up 11.2 percent.
Major export markets in November included Hong Kong, the United States, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico and Italy.
DTI Export Marketing Bureau director Bianca Pearl Sykimte said improved market access, particularly for agricultural products, supported export growth, citing the US reciprocal tariff exemption on key Philippine agricultural exports as a significant boost for food exporters.
