Philippine exports are unusually balanced — the US, China, Japan, Hong Kong, ASEAN and the EU each take a mid-teens share. The US-heavy story belongs to Cambodia and Vietnam, not Manila.
China is 23% of Philippine imports — mid-pack among peers. ASEAN matters more on the import side (29.6%) than on exports (15.4%). Timor-Leste has a re-export caveat; don’t mix domestic-export denominators. EU-27 is the sum of members present.
What the comparison shows
Philippine exports are distributed across several large destinations rather than dominated by a single buyer. Imports tell a different story: China is a substantial supplier, and ASEAN’s share is larger on imports than on exports. Exposure therefore depends on whether the question concerns demand for Philippine goods or access to foreign inputs.
Key findings from this pack
- PH export destinations are spread across several major partners.
- ASEAN’s share is larger on the PH import side than the export side.
- EU-27 sums members present in the WITS files.
- Timor-Leste WITS exports include re-exports; domestic-export denominators differ.
The evidence: Philippines and peers
Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Values retain their individual years; missing observations are shown as —.
| Indicator / unit | Philippines | Malaysia | Thailand | Vietnam | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exports to China% of merchandise exports | 14.62023 | 13.482023 | 11.992023 | 17.162023 | 25.092023 |
| Imports from China% of merchandise imports | 23.132023 | 21.352023 | 24.552023 | 342023 | 28.342023 |
| Exports to United States% of merchandise exports | 15.672023 | 11.342023 | 172023 | 27.492023 | 92023 |
| Imports from United States% of merchandise imports | 6.812023 | 7.352023 | 6.742023 | 4.252023 | 5.112023 |
| Exports to Japan% of merchandise exports | 14.32023 | 6.012023 | 8.632023 | 6.62023 | 8.032023 |
| Imports from Japan% of merchandise imports | 8.162023 | 5.862023 | 10.812023 | 6.642023 | 7.442023 |
| Exports to EU-27 (sum of members)% of merchandise exports | 11.352023 | 7.92023 | 7.622023 | 12.262023 | 6.42023 |
| Imports from EU-27 (sum of members)% of merchandise imports | 6.172023 | 7.692023 | 6.782023 | 4.552023 | 6.342023 |
| Exports to ASEAN-10 (sum, ex self)% of merchandise exports | 15.362023 | 29.482023 | 23.542023 | 9.092023 | 20.382023 |
| Imports from ASEAN-10 (sum, ex self)% of merchandise imports | 29.632023 | 24.792023 | 16.832023 | 12.572023 | 21.122023 |
| Exports to Hong Kong SAR% of merchandise exports | 12.032023 | 6.32023 | 3.892023 | 2.722023 | 1.022023 |
| Imports from Hong Kong SAR% of merchandise imports | 1.572023 | 1.262023 | 0.912023 | 0.52023 | 1.142023 |
| Exports to Korea, Rep.% of merchandise exports | 4.772023 | 3.922023 | 2.132023 | 6.642023 | 3.982023 |
| Imports from Korea, Rep.% of merchandise imports | 6.642023 | 4.552023 | 3.012023 | 16.12023 | 4.742023 |
How to interpret the findings
These are merchandise-trade shares for the supplied 2023 vintage, not services trade or domestic value added. Broad destination groups can overlap with individual economies and should not be summed indiscriminately. Balanced destinations also do not prove product diversification or resilience to a shared global shock.
Coverage and context
WITS 2023 merchandise only. EU-27 sums members present; ASEAN-10 excludes the reporter. TLS exports include re-exports; domestic-export denominators differ.
The table is a comparison of observations, not a combined ranking. The topic guide includes the wider SEA-11 coverage, interactive charts and full methodology.
Open trade dependence →All sources and observation years
S1 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S2 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S3 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S4 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S5 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S6 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S7 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S8 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S9 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S10 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
S11 · World Bank WITS (UNSD Comtrade) · year 2023 · as_of 2026-09-06
Cite this page
ASEAN in Data (2026). Philippine exports are unusually balanced — the US, China, Japan, Hong Kong, ASEAN and the EU each take a mid-teens share. The US-heavy story belongs to Cambodia and Vietnam, not Manila. /insights/trade-dependence