Trading Partner Portal: Philippines
Overview
U.S. and Philippines Plan the Launch of Historic 4,000 Acre Economic Security Zone to Shore Up Supply Chains
U.S. Department of Commerce, April 16, 2026
Secretary Raimondo Leads Successful Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines, President’s Export Council Trip to Thailand
U.S. Department of Commerce, March 19, 2024
Trade Overview
The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific comprised of more than 7,000 islands. The population is 115.8 million as of 2024, making it the 14th largest country in the world. It also has one of the youngest populations in the world, with more than two-thirds of the population under the age of 35. The Philippines has a nominal GDP of $470 billion and GDP per capita of $4,154. Until 2020, the Philippines had a year-on-year growth that was one of the fastest in the region, growing 6.12% in 2019. Export.gov
U.S. – Philippines Trade
In 2025, two-way trade in goods between the U.S. and Philippines equaled $26.91 billion. The U.S. exported $9.15 billion to the Philippines with computer and electronic products making up $2.89 billion of the total, followed by processed foods ($2.37 billion), agricultural products ($766 million), chemicals ($694 million), and transportation equipment ($577 million).
The U.S. imported $17.77 billion worth of goods from the Philippines in the same year. This total was comprised of computer and electronic products ($8.64 billion), followed by electrical equipment, appliances, & components ($2.21 billion), processed foods ($1.54 billion), transportation equipment ($1.16 billion), and non-electrical machinery ($814 million).
Total services trade between the U.S. and the Philippines is 2025 was $14.96 billion, with exports totaling $5.22 billion. Top exports were travel, other business services, financial services, transport services, and telecommunications, computer, & information services.
Service imports from the Philippines to the U.S. totaled $9.74 billion in this same year. Top imports were other business services, travel, transport services, telecommunications, computer, & information services, and financial services.
California-Philippines Trade
In 2025, California exported $1.38 billion to the Philippines. California’s main export to the Philippines was computer and electronic products, totaling $520 million. Other top exports included processed foods ($468 million), chemicals ($65 million), transportation equipment ($62 million), and non-electrical machinery ($60 million).
Goods imports from the Philippines to California totaled $5.14 billion. California’s top imports were computer and electronic products which made up $3.22 billion of the total. This was followed by processed foods ($411 million), electrical equipment appliances & components ($352 million), transportation equipment ($327 million), and plastic and rubber products ($146 million).
FDI – Philippines
Net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have been on an upward trend since the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III and rose by more than 40 percent year-on-year during 2016 to a record-high $7.9 billion (from $1.1 billion in net FDI flows in 2010 when the former President assumed office). The United States — with an estimated $6.1 billion of FDI in the Philippines as of 2024- ranks among the Philippines’ top investors. The Philippines invested $532 million into the U.S. in 2024.
Per the most recent census, there are approximately 4 million Philippine-Americans living in the U.S. with half or about 2 million living in California – many who are American citizens or dual-citizens.
More Articles:
1989 bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA)
United States Trade Representative – Philippines
Presidential Trade and Investment Mission: Partnering with the U.S. Private Sector to Deepen U.S.-Philippine Commercial Ties
U.S. Department of Commerce, March 12, 2024
Trade Agreements & Issues
Issues
The Philippines has improved in various competitiveness rankings. However, the inadequate state of infrastructure remains a weak spot, and investors also continue to cite government red tape, regulatory uncertainties, a slow judicial system, and corruption as challenges to doing business in the country. Export.gov
Trade Agreements
How About a U.S.-Philippine Free Trade Agreement, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, January 8, 2018
One tangible outcome of President Trump’s recent visit to Manila was an agreement that the two countries would hold exploratory talks on a bilateral free trade agreement. As the joint statement between Trump and Philippine President Duterte said, “The United States welcomed the Philippines’ interest in a bilateral free trade agreement and both sides agreed to discuss the matter further through the United States– Philippines TIFA [Trade and Investment Framework Agreement].”
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
After 8 years of negotiations, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed on November 15, 2020. The RCEP is a free trade agreement (FTA) with 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states—Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam—and the five states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs—Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Please see the CalChamber’s RCEP page for more info.
RCEP – Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Text of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
Events
Events
