The government expects merchandise exports to sustain a record-breaking momentum this year, betting that a flurry of new free trade agreements (FTAs) will offset the loss of last year’s one-time shipping surge.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is targeting a second consecutive year of growth by aggressively pivoting toward untapped markets.

“We're really hoping for better numbers this year,” Roque told reporters last week.

The outlook follows a 2025 performance in which outbound shipments reached an all-time high of $84.41 billion, a 15.2 percent increase from the $73.27 billion recorded the previous year, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“We've done very well. Just by these numbers, we can really see that Philippine products are really ready for export,” she said.

Roque said these export figures are poised to expand further this year through FTAs, including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed last month between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The CEPA, the country’s FTA with a Middle Eastern nation, grants preferential tariff treatment to 95 percent of Philippine exports to the UAE.

Roque said the government is set to sign another CEPA, this time with Chile, marking the country’s first FTA with a Latin American nation.

She added that negotiations for a trade pact with Canada are set to conclude this year, on top of ongoing talks for an FTA with the European Union (EU).

By opening new markets for Philippine goods, Roque suggested the country could cushion potential losses from the absence of frontloaded shipments this year.

“Because we have the FTAs, we can really boost exports. That also gives confidence to different industries to really pursue different countries,” she said.

The surge in goods exports last year was largely attributed to frontloading, as importers in the United States (US) accelerated shipments to avoid reciprocal tariffs on foreign goods that took effect in August last year.

Last year, the US was the top export destination for the Philippines, with shipments reaching $13.44 billion, or nearly 16 percent of the total export value.

Roque said the government is still negotiating with the US to secure a preferential tariff deal for the country’s products, following exemptions for key commodities such as semiconductors and agricultural goods.

Philippine exports to the US currently face a 19-percent reciprocal tariff.

Roque said another growth prospect for merchandise exports comes from the country’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings this year.

“A lot of the trade ministers are coming here. We're bringing them to those places so that they can see the products of the Philippines. They will also be meeting with a lot of the businessmen here,” she said.

To help exporters, the DTI plans to provide more support through guidance on securing the necessary certifications to access markets and increased promotion abroad.

The DTI will also help exporters participate in business-matching missions and trade shows in key trade destinations to showcase their products in overseas markets.