TRADE Secretary Cristina Roque on Thursday welcomed sustained export growth in May, citing the strength and competitiveness of Philippine exporters amid evolving global market conditions.
Merchandise exports totaled $7.87 billion in May, up 7.6 percent from $7.32 billion a year ago, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
For the first five months, exports reached $37.87 billion, up from $34.25 billion in the same period last year.
Electronic products remained the top export in May at $4.30 billion, or 54.6 percent of total shipments, followed by machinery and transport equipment ($441.61 million, 5.6 percent) and other mineral products ($406.76 million, 5.2 percent).
Year to date, electronic exports totaled $20.83 billion, up 17.5 percent from $17.73 billion a year earlier.
Other sectors also drove growth: machinery and transport equipment exports rose 61.3 percent; gold exports nearly doubled at 93.6 percent; other mineral products grew 25.6 percent; and fresh banana exports expanded 18.2 percent.
The food sector maintained positive momentum on sustained demand for Philippine beverages, processed food, dairy, and snacks, as local manufacturers expanded regional and international presence through product innovation and export partnerships.
The coconut industry remained a steady contributor, with coconut oil exports up 10.3 percent to $1.32 billion from January to May, driven by demand from the Netherlands, Malaysia, and the United States.
The US is still the top buyer of Philippine goods at $1.35 billion (17.2 percent), followed by Hong Kong ($1.20 billion, 15.2 percent), Japan ($1.03 billion, 13.1 percent), China ($905.20 million, 11.5 percent), and Singapore ($442.55 million, 5.6 percent).
“To ensure this upward momentum, the DTI is championing a whole-of-government approach to aggressively push and drive our exports through strategic, targeted support programs in partnership with both the public and private sectors,” Roque said, adding that the department will continue trade promotion and market development programs with other agencies and partner institutions.
DTI will host the Exporters’ Fair on July 22–26 at the SM Megatrade Hall, featuring the country’s export and export-ready products across sectors.
“Through targeted export promotion and strategic market expansion initiatives, DTI is committed to helping Filipino exporters break into new markets, enhance their global presence, and seize fresh growth opportunities,” Roque said.
