Browse Data and Analysis

On February 7, 2025, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) released Sugar Order No. 2 (SO2) authorizing the voluntary purchase of 500,000 metric tons (MT) of raw sugar to avail of an allocation in the government’s sugar importation program.

On February 18, 2025, the Philippines notified the World Trade Organization Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade of the Department of Finance’s Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 001-2025.

On February 11, 2025, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) issued Sugar Order No. 3 (SO3), allowing new applications for construction and expansion of bioethanol facilities using molasses as feedstock provided certain conditions are met.

On January 24, 2025, the Philippine Department of Finance announced the issuance of Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 001-2025, which provides the implementing guidelines of the pre-border technical verification (PTV) and cross-border electronic invoicing (CEI) of all imported commodities.

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) declared a food security emergency related to rice on February 3, 2025, citing an extraordinary increase in prices.

FAS Manila maintains MY 2022/23 milled rice production at 11.975 million MT, as previously stated conditions such as diminished fertilizer application still hold. FAS Manila estimates rice imports at 3.8 million MT in response to recent trade data. FAS Manila estimates wheat imports at 5.8 million MT because of high prices and industry contacts’ observations that consumers have limited purchasing power.

This report outlines Philippine government requirements for the importation of fishery and seafood products. The report aims to assist U.S. exporters by providing information on labeling, packaging, permitted ingredients, and other relevant information. It also provides points of contact for key Philippine government authorities.

The United States is among the top five suppliers of distilled spirits to the Philippines, supplying mostly whiskey. Philippine importation of U.S. distilled spirits in 2021 dropped to $4.6 million, 42 percent lower than the pre-pandemic level.

This report provides guidance on shipping samples of U.S. food, beverage, and other agricultural products to the Philippines.

The United States is the second largest supplier of non-alcoholic beverages to the Philippines and holds a 12 percent market share. In 2021, U.S. export sales of non-alcoholic beverages reached a record $11.4 million, despite strong competition from within the Philippines and from Asian countries that benefit from zero-tariff trade.

For the past two decades, the United States has been the leading supplier of wines to the Philippines. In 2021, U.S. wine exports to the Philippines soared to a record $20 million (3.8 million liters at an average cost of $5.20 per liter) as consumers temporarily traded up to more expensive wines during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Philippines is a regional biotechnology leader and the first country in the world to approve Golden Rice for commercial propagation. The Bt Eggplant biosafety permit was signed on October 17, 2022, allowing commercial propagation. Planting of Golden Rice has started since its approval in 2021, while Bt corn acceptance has grown with more than 600,000 hectares planted in 2021.