PH must move aggressively as US eases agri tariff policy

The recent decision of the United States to exempt more than $1 billion worth of Philippine agricultural exports from the previously imposed 19-percent reciprocal tariff is a rare opportunity for a sector long constrained by structural inefficiencies, chronic underinvestment, and policy drift. For once, global conditions have aligned in Manila’s favor.

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The question now is whether the government, the private sector, and farmers themselves can turn this opportunity into sustained, transformative progress.

For the government, the exemption must be treated not as a windfall but as a mandate. Reduced barriers mean little if the Philippines continues to lag behind regional competitors in productivity, logistics, and regulatory predictability. What the government must do first is clear: stabilize the policy environment. Exporters and investors need certainty—long-term export development plans, streamlined permits, transparent standards, and faster port operations. The Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development must jointly craft a coherent export competitiveness blueprint that prioritizes high-value crops covered by the tariff exemption, modernizes cold-chain networks, and supports digitalization in supply chains.