The Philippines’ agricultural trade deficit widened sharply in March as import growth continued to outpace exports, highlighting persistent supply constraints despite rising overall trade, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Philippines is moving to deepen cooperation with Israel on critical minerals processing and artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to climb higher in the global technology value chain.
The Philippines has stayed off the United States’ intellectual property watchlist for a 13th straight year, underscoring sustained progress in enforcement even as risks tied to counterfeit goods persist.
Philippine exports surged to a record USD8.17 billion in March, the highest monthly level since the Philippine Statistics Authority began tracking merchandise trade in 1991. The milestone was powered largely by sustained global demand for electronics, reinforcing the sector’s dominance in the country’s export basket.
Southeast Asian economic ministers are accelerating regional energy cooperation, fast-tracking the ASEAN Power Grid and the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA) to cushion the bloc against mounting fuel and power risks.