The country’s total external trade in goods recorded a strong annual increase of 7.0 percent in September 2025, reaching USD 18.86 billion, up from USD 17.62 billion in the same period last year. The latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) highlights accelerating momentum in the trade sector, propelled by robust growth in foreign sales.
The overall expansion was largely driven by a significant surge in export sales, which increased by 15.9 percent year-over-year to USD 7.25 billion. This strong performance contrasts sharply with the annual decrease recorded in September 2024, signaling a vigorous recovery and expansion in global market demand for Philippine goods.
The positive trend is sustained over the long term, with the year-to-date total value of exports (January to September 2025) reaching USD 63.02 billion, an impressive 13.1 percent annual increase over the same nine-month period in 2024.
The growth in exports was overwhelmingly led by the electronic products commodity group, which recorded the highest annual increment in value at USD 878.27 million. This key sector reaffirms its crucial role in the nation’s export profile, followed by notable increases in gold, and machinery and transport equipment.
Manufactured goods continued to dominate the export structure, contributing 79.2 percent of the country’s total exports for the month, amounting to USD 5.74 billion.
While imports accounted for 61.5 percent of the total trade, resulting in a trade deficit, the balance of trade showed improvement. The trade deficit (BoT-G) for September 2025 amounted to USD -4.35 billion, representing a 14.7 percent annual decline in the deficit compared to the previous year. This indicates a favorable trend where export growth is outpacing import growth, helping to narrow the trade gap.
“The double-digit surge in exports and the subsequent narrowing of our trade deficit in September underscore the strong competitiveness of key Philippine industries, particularly our high-value manufactured goods,” said a PSA spokesperson. “This sustained 13.1 percent year-to-date export growth positions the economy well for the final quarter of the year.”
