Philippine merchandise exports reached their highest monthly level in 35 years in August, propelled by a sharp rise in electronics shipments and strong demand from key markets, extending a 20-month growth streak.
Philippine merchandise exports jumped in August to their highest monthly level in 35 years, helped by a sharp increase in electronics shipments and a stronger performance in key overseas markets. Preliminary figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed exports rising 27.8% year on year to $9.11 billion, extending a run of growth that has now lasted 20 consecutive months.
Electronic products remained the dominant export category, bringing in $6.20 billion and accounting for 68.1% of total shipments. The PSA said the sector posted the largest annual gain among commodity groups, with export earnings from electronic products up by $2.32 billion from a year earlier. Trading Economics said the rise was broad-based within the industry, with semiconductor components, office equipment and consumer electronics all posting sizeable gains.
The United States stayed the Philippines’ biggest market in August, taking $2.17 billion worth of goods, or 23.8% of total exports. Hong Kong followed with $1.57 billion, then China, Japan and Taiwan. Trading Economics reported that shipments to the US rose sharply year on year, while exports to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Singapore also increased, underlining the breadth of the recovery in external demand.
The Department of Trade and Industry said Filipino exporters had shown they could compete effectively in global markets, with secretary Cristina Roque pointing to the export sector’s resilience. She said the department would keep working to connect exporters with foreign buyers and support entry into new markets. Industry officials have also linked the electronics upswing to demand associated with artificial intelligence and data-centre investment, while the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation has recently raised its growth outlook for the year on the same theme.
For the first eight months of 2026, merchandise exports reached $64.04 billion, up 14.8% from the same period in 2025. Manufactured goods, which include electronics, made up the bulk of August shipments, while mineral and agro-based products accounted for much smaller shares. Another report on the same trade data said the country’s goods deficit narrowed in August as exports outpaced imports, easing pressure on the external balance.
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