Philippine coconut exports rise 34.4% to $3.6 billion as DTI targets higher-value products
Philippine coconut exports increased 34.4% to $3.6 billion in 2025, accounting for nearly half of the country’s agro-based exports. The Department of Trade and Industry is supporting higher-value production, market diversification and direct links between local enterprises and international buyers.
Export earnings reach $3.6 billion
Philippine coconut exports rose 34.4% to $3.6 billion in 2025, prompting the Department of Trade and Industry to intensify efforts to develop higher-value products and expand the sector’s reach in international markets, The Manila Times reported.
Coconut products accounted for nearly half of the Philippines’ total agro-based exports during the year. The sector also contributed to the country’s record total export revenue of $84.48 billion in 2025 and, according to the DTI, maintained growth momentum in 2026.
The performance gives coconut a central role in the Philippines’ agricultural export economy. The industry supports 2.8 million Filipino farmers, making export demand and improvements in domestic processing relevant not only to manufacturers and traders but also to rural incomes and employment.
Government focuses on value-added production
DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said the industry’s value depends on what the country creates from harvested coconuts, not only on the crop itself. She called for competitive, high-value products capable of generating lasting income for farmers and local communities.
The policy direction is intended to move more enterprises beyond basic commodity sales and into product development. For producers and processors, greater value addition can widen the range of commercial opportunities available from the same agricultural base. It can also allow smaller companies to approach overseas customers with differentiated products rather than competing only through raw-material supply.
The DTI presented this strategy at the DTI-Bagong Pilipinas Coconut Philippines Trade Fair, which opened on Aug. 26. A total of 300 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises participated, seeking opportunities in product development, direct market linkages and commercial partnerships.
Export promotion targets more buyers and markets
The department is connecting coconut enterprises with international buyers through targeted export promotion, business-matching activities and outbound trade missions. It is also using the global network of Philippine Trade and Investment Centers to improve market access and support diversification.
These measures complement the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration has framed wider market access, enterprise support and diversification as the main tools for strengthening local producers and entrepreneurs.
For Philippine exporters, the 34.4% increase provides a stronger revenue base from which to pursue new customers and invest in product development. However, the government’s emphasis on diversification indicates that maintaining growth will depend on converting the country’s coconut supply into a broader portfolio of commercially competitive goods.
The involvement of 300 MSMEs is significant because much of the next stage will depend on whether smaller processors can establish direct buyer relationships and turn trade-fair contacts into sustained commercial partnerships. If those links develop, a larger share of export value could remain with Philippine enterprises, farmers and producing communities.
