THE country’s agricultural trade totaled $29.63 billion in 2025, its highest on record since 1991, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
It also marked an 8.9-percent increase from the $27.22 billion recorded in 2024.
Exports amounted to $9.25 billion, 31.2 percent of total trade, and 19.3 percent higher than the $7.75 billion in 2024.
However, this was lower compared to the 20.6-percent annual growth in 2024.
Imports reached $20.37 billion, 68.7 percent of total trade, and 4.7 percent higher than the $19.46 billion in 2024.
But this marked a slower increase from the 8.6 percent in the previous year.
Total trade deficit was $11.12 billion in 2025, or 5.0 percent lower than the $11.71 in 2024. This was likewise the narrowest deficit in four years or since the $8.89-billion deficit in 2021.
This was also a reversal from last year’s 1.9-percent increase.
Broken down, agricultural exports accounted for 11 percent of the country’s total exports in 2025. Animal, vegetable or microbial fats, oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; and animal or vegetable waxes accounted for the largest share at $3.09 billion, or 33.4 percent of total exports for the year.
The country’s agricultural exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member countries totaled $950.74 million, or 8.0 percent of the total value of exports to the region.
Malaysia topped the list at $438.25 million or 46.1 percent.
Animal, vegetable or microbial fats, and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; and animal or vegetable waxes were the country’s top agricultural exports to Asean member countries at $320.90 million, or 33.8 percent.
This was followed by tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; products, whether or not containing nicotine, intended for inhalation without combustion; and other nicotine-containing products intended for the intake of nicotine into the human body ($281.69 million, 29.6 percent) and miscellaneous edible preparations ($58.09 million, 6.1 percent).
Agricultural exports to European Union member countries reached $2.14 billion, or 21.9 percent of total export value to these countries.
The Netherlands accounted for $1.29 billion, or 60.3 percent, of the Philippine agri exports.
Animal, vegetable or microbial fats, and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; and animal or vegetable waxes accounted for $1.45 billion, or 67.8 percent of the total.
This was followed by preparations of meat, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, other aquatic invertebrates or insects ($255.39 million, 11.9 percent) and edible fruit, and nuts and peels of citrus fruit or melons ($168.02 million, 7.9 percent).
Meanwhile, cereals were the country’s biggest import at $3.89 billion, or 19.1 percent of the total value in 2025.
Agricultural imports from Asean countries amounted to $7.78 billion, or 22.0 percent of the total.
Vietnam accounted for $2.22 billion or 28.6 percent of Asean imports.
Animal, vegetable or microbial fats, and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; and animal or vegetable waxes were the top imported agricultural commodity group from Asean member countries at $1.93 billion, or 24.8 percent.
This was followed by cereals at $1.70 billion (21.8 percent) and miscellaneous edible preparations at $1.41 billion (18.1 percent).
The country’s agricultural imports from EU member countries reached $1.78 billion, or 21.3 percent of total value in 2025.
Spain accounted for $432.66 million, or 24.4 percent of total value.
Meat and edible meat offal were the country’s top agricultural imports from EU member countries at $501.63 million or 28.3 percent.
This was followed by dairy produce, birds’ eggs, natural honey, edible products of animal origin not elsewhere specified or included ($412.36 million, 23.2 percent), and residues and waste from the food industries and prepared animal fodder ($208.76 million, 11.8 percent).
