PHL banana exports estimated to have grown 26% in 2025

PHILIPPINE BANANA exports likely surged by more than a quarter in 2025, helping make the country the world’s number two exporter, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In a market review, the FAO said that preliminary data indicate that exports of Philippine bananas likely grew 25.6% to 2.93 million metric tons (MMT) in 2025.

Ecuador likely remained the world’s biggest banana exporter in 2025, with shipments projected at 6.41 MMT. Costa Rica, which was the second-largest banana exporter last year, likely slipped to fifth place, with shipments projected to decline 17% to 1.96 MMT.

According to the FAO, the rebound in Philippine exports was the result of favorable weather as well as a recovery from setbacks caused by disease in recent years.

In 2024, banana exports amounted to 2.33 MMT, slipping from 2.35 MMT a year earlier after infestations of Fusarium wilt, a soil-borne fungal disease that blocks a banana plant’s vascular system and deprives it of nutrients and moisture.

The FAO said the Philippines, the biggest banana exporter in Asia, also benefited from renewed investments in production.

“Industry sources reported that substantial investments had been made in boosting the production of bananas in Cagayan Valley, including through the provision of organic fertilizer and other inputs by the Department of Agriculture (DA),” the FAO said.

The FAO also reported stronger demand from major Asian markets in 2025, helping support the Philippine export rebound.

Banana imports by China, one of the world’s largest buyers, were estimated to have increased 17.02% to 2.04 MMT in 2025, with shipments from the Philippines expanding in the double digits during the first nine months.

Imports by Japan likely rose, with shipments projected to have grown 1.44% to 1.06 MMT in 2025. The Philippines accounts for around 75% to 80% of Japan’s total banana imports.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said he recently met with his Japanese counterpart to negotiate lower tariffs on Philippine bananas shipped to Japan.

He said the DA is seeking amendments to the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), under which Japan imposes seasonal tariffs on Philippine bananas.

Under JPEPA, bananas shipped from the Philippines face an 8% tariff between October and March and a duty of 18% between April and September. Mr. Laurel said the government is pushing to lower the duties to a fixed rate of between 5% and 8%.

“We requested a lower, flat rate to help our banana sector. This is because other countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Mexico are already moving toward zero tariffs,” Mr. Laurel told reporters at a briefing.

He said the tariff negotiations are meant to serve as a temporary measure to keep Philippine bananas competitive, while the country works toward securing zero duties through its application for accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The CPTPP is a free trade agreement among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the UK, and Vietnam. It provides for more liberalized trade, including zero tariffs on a wide range of goods. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel