Trading Partner Portal: Philippines
EU reaches initial free trade deal with Philippines in pivot to Asia
Reuters, September 22, 2026
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
Trade Overview
The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific comprised of more than 7,000 islands. The population is 116.79 million as of 2025, 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 GDP of $487.09 billion. World Bank
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
The United States — with an estimated $7.6 billion of FDI in the Philippines as of 2025- ranks among the Philippines’ top investors. The Philippines invested $283 million into the U.S. in 2025.
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.
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
EU-Philippines Free Trade Agreement
European Union, September 22, 2026
EU reaches initial free trade deal with Philippines in pivot to Asia
Reuters, September 22, 2026
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.
CalChamber Resources
Business
- California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
- Filipino American Chamber of Commerce, Silicon Valley
- Philippine National Trade Repository