The Philippines’ merchandise export growth accelerated to 19.4% year-on-year in October 2025, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced today at the launch of the 2025 National Exporters’ Week (NEW). This surge underscores a strong sector recovery as the DTI unveils new digital platforms aimed squarely at strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) exporters.
DTI Secretary Cristina A. Roque, presiding over the opening ceremonies under the theme “Making Waves: Exporters Driving the Nation Forward,” reported that total exports from January to October 2025 reached USD 70.43 billion, a 13.80% increase from the USD 61.90 billion recorded in the same 2024 period. “Let us work together to ride this wave of opportunity and position the Philippines as a global trade powerhouse,” Secretary Roque stated.
Sector Performance and Key Drivers
The growth is broad-based, led by the electronics sector, which remains the top export category. Electronics exports grew 11.7% to USD 40.82 billion for the ten-month period. Meanwhile, non-electronics exports, including manufactured goods, minerals, and agro-based products, expanded at a faster clip of 16.8%, reaching USD 29.61 billion.
A significant boost comes from recent U.S. trade policy, where over 65% of covered Philippine agricultural exports now enjoy exemptions from reciprocal tariffs, up from nearly zero. This benefits high-value products like coconut oil, pineapple and mango preparations, coffee, and spices.
Services exports saw a minor contraction of 0.89% in the first half of 2025, amounting to USD 24.43 billion, indicating generally stable performance in the IT-BPM and travel sectors.
New Digital Initiatives for MSMEs
Central to this year’s NEW are two major digital launches designed to simplify export processes and enhance global visibility for Filipino businesses, particularly MSMEs.
On December 4, the DTI will officially launch the FTA Origin Management System (OMS), an automated platform developed with South Korea to streamline origin certification and help exporters more easily utilize Free Trade Agreement benefits. Alongside it, DTI will introduce PHX SOURCE, an online discovery platform featuring over 6,000 Philippine exporters. Developed with Qsweep Technologies, the platform connects local suppliers with international buyers through a unified directory and real-time analytics.
Event Highlights and Ongoing Support
NEW 2025, running from December 1 to 4, features an Exporters’ Exhibit showcasing Philippine products and an Export Enablers’ Counselling Area. The event also includes “Usapang Exports” sessions focusing on market opportunities and logistics for women-led MSMEs, among others.
Secretary Roque reaffirmed the DTI’s commitment to the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028, emphasizing the need for a strengthened export ecosystem. “The PEDP is more than a policy document. It embodies a collective vision,” she said.
The 2025 National Exporters’ Week is organized by the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau, the Export Development Council (EDC), and PHILEXPORT.#
