The Philippines' import and export activities
The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country comprising more than 7,000 islands, with a total coastline of approximately 36,289 km. This geographic position provides a significant advantage in terms of maritime connectivity, facilitating seaborne trade and the movement of goods between the Philippines and other countries in the region and worldwide.
In terms of language, the Philippines has two official languages: Filipino and English. Filipino is the native language and is widely used in daily communication. In parallel, English serves as a second language and is officially used in key domains such as law, trade, education, and media. The widespread and proficient use of English nationwide enhances the Philippines’ capacity for connectivity and international integration, thereby supporting the promotion of international economic and trade cooperation.
During 2015–2025, the Philippines’ trade activity recorded substantial growth. According to ITC Trade Map data, the country’s total merchandise trade (imports and exports) increased from USD 128.8 billion in 2015 to USD 225.3 billion in 2025. However, this growth was driven mainly by imports, while exports expanded more slowly, resulting in a widening trade deficit from USD 11.5 billion in 2015 to USD 58.1 billion in 2025. This trend reflects rising consumption and import demand, creating significant opportunities for exporting countries, including Viet Nam, to further expand their presence in the Philippine market.
Table 1: Evolution of the Philippines’ import and export value from 2015–2025
Unit: billion USD
|
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
|
Import |
70.2 |
85.9 |
98.5 |
115.1 |
112.9 |
90.8 |
124.4 |
145.9 |
133.8 |
134.9 |
141.7 |
|
Export |
58.6 |
56.3 |
63.2 |
67.5 |
70.3 |
63.9 |
74.6 |
78.9 |
72.9 |
73.0 |
83.6 |
|
Balance of trade |
-11.5 |
-29.6 |
-35.3 |
-47.6 |
-42.6 |
-26.9 |
-49.8 |
-67.0 |
-60.8 |
-61.9 |
-58.1 |
Source: ITC Trade Map, 2026
Imports
Over the past decade, the Philippines’ import value has increased significantly, almost doubling from USD 70.2 billion in 2015 to USD 141.7 billion in 2025.
The Philippines’ import structure indicates strong demand for machinery, equipment, and production inputs. Specifically, electrical and mechanical machinery and equipment account for nearly 32% of the country’s total imports, while mineral fuels represent around 13%. In addition, the Philippines imports substantial volumes of transport equipment, iron and steel products, plastics, chemicals, and cereals, among others. This reflects diversified market demand and considerable potential for various export sectors to enter and expand their presence in the Philippine market.
Table 2: Top 10 main import products of the Philippines in 2025
|
No. |
Main imports of the Philippines |
Import value in 2025 (USD billion) |
Share of total imports |
|
1 |
Chapter 85: Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles |
33.27 |
23.47% |
|
2 |
Chapter 27: Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes |
18.08 |
12.76% |
|
3 |
Chapter 84: Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof |
11.93 |
8.42% |
|
4 |
Chapter 87: Vehicles other than railway or tramway rollingstock, and parts and accessories thereof |
10.74 |
7.57% |
|
5 |
Chapter 39: Plastics and articles thereof |
5.04 |
3.55% |
|
6 |
Chapter 72: Iron and steel |
4.81 |
3.39% |
|
7 |
Chapter 10: Cereals |
4.18 |
2.95% |
|
8 |
Chapter 73: Articles of iron or steel |
3.27 |
2.31% |
|
9 |
Chapter 90: Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof |
3.21 |
2.26% |
|
10 |
Chapter 02: Meat and edible meat offal |
2.52 |
1.78% |
Source: ITC Trade Map, 2026
Exports
During 2015–2025, the Philippines’ exports generally showed an upward trend, but overall growth remained relatively modest, with export value increasing from USD 58.6 billion in 2015 to USD 83.6 billion in 2025.
The Philippines’ export structure is concentrated in a limited number of sectors such as machinery and equipment, agricultural products, and minerals. In particular, electrical and mechanical machinery and equipment (under HS Chapters 84 and 85) account for the largest share—over 60% of the Philippines’ total export value. Heavy reliance on a small number of export products makes the Philippines’ export performance more vulnerable to unexpected shocks such as pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, and trade tensions.
Table 3: Top 10 main export products of the Philippines in 2025
|
No. |
Main export items of the Philippines |
Export value in 2025 (USD billion) |
Share of total exports |
|
1 |
Chapter 85: Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles |
44.23 |
52.81% |
|
2 |
Chapter 84: Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof |
7.24 |
8.65% |
|
3 |
Chapter 90: Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof |
3.45 |
4.12% |
|
4 |
Chapter 15: Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes |
3.07 |
3.67% |
|
5 |
Chapter 26: Ores, slag and ash |
2.88 |
3.44% |
|
6 |
Chapter 08: Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons |
2.85 |
3.41% |
|
7 |
Chapter 71: Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal, and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin |
2.75 |
3.28% |
|
8 |
Chapter 74: Copper and articles thereof |
1.73 |
2.06% |
|
9 |
Chapter 39: Plastics and articles thereof |
1.16 |
1.38% |
|
10 |
Chapter 87: Vehicles other than railway or tramway rollingstock, and parts and accessories thereof |
0.87 |
1.04% |
Source: ITC Trade Map, 2026
Source: Center for WTO and International Trade - VCCI
