FX.co ★ Philippine Imports Fall at Softer Pace

In November 2025, Philippine imports experienced a 2% decrease compared to the same month in the previous year, amounting to USD 10.4 billion. This decline was a slight improvement from the revised 3% drop recorded in October. The reduction in imports was mitigated by a rise in electronic products by 16.6%, with semiconductors at the forefront, surging by 28.5%, and electronic data processing witnessing a modest increase of 1.5%. Additionally, imports of transport equipment grew by 20.7%, and those of iron and steel rose by 11.1%. These increases effectively countered the declines observed in other sectors, including mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials, which fell by 18.9%, other food and live animals, which decreased by 1.8%, and telecommunications equipment and electrical machinery, which dropped by 7.7%. Among the Philippines' key trading partners, China maintained its position as the leading supplier, holding a 28.7% share, with imports from China rising by 2.8%. Conversely, imports from Japan declined by 2.9%, from Indonesia by 16%, and from the United States by 2.1%. Over the January to November period, total imports rose to USD 122.6 billion compared to USD 117.6 billion in the same timeframe the previous year.