A. Total Agricultural Trade

1. Total agricultural trade declined by -7.1 percent

The country’s total agricultural trade for the year 2020, which amounted to USD 18.78 billion, went down at an annual rate of -7.1 percent. In 2019, total trade recorded an annual increase of 4.9 percent, while in 2018, total trade grew by 9.6 percent.

During the year, agricultural exports and imports were recorded at USD 6.20 billion (33.0%) and USD 12.58 billion (67.0%), respectively. (Figure 1 and Table 1)

2. Agricultural trade balance decreased by -7.0 percent

In 2020, the total balance of trade in agricultural goods was USD -6.38 billion. This reflects a deficit with an annual decrement of -7.0 percent. In 2019, the annual decrease of trade deficit was recorded at -2.4 percent, while in 2018, trade deficit posted an annual increase of 58.9 percent. (Table 1)

B. Agricultural Export

1. Agricultural export dropped by -7.1 percent

The country’s agricultural export revenue declined to USD 6.20 billion or by -7.1 percent in 2020, from USD 6.68 billion agricultural export revenue in 2019. During the period, the value of agricultural export accounted for 9.5 percent to the total export of the country. (Figure 2 and Table 1)

2. Agricultural export of edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit melons commodity group contributed the largest share to total agricultural export

The total value of agricultural exports of the top 10 commodity groups was USD 5.95 billion or 96.0 percent of the total agricultural export revenue in 2020. The combined export value of these top 10 commodity groups posted an annual decrease of -6.9 percent during the year.

Among the commodity groups, edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit melons, valued at USD 2.32 billion, comprised the largest share of 37.5 percent to the total agricultural exports. (Figure 3 and Table 3)

3. Malaysia led as trading partner in agricultural exports among ASEAN member countries

The country’s agricultural exports to ASEAN member countries in 2020 amounted to USD 671.32 million which accounted for 6.6 percent of the total exports to ASEAN member countries. Among ASEAN member countries, Malaysia was the top destination of agricultural exports worth USD 226.77 million or a share of 33.8 percent to the total agricultural exports to ASEAN member countries. (Figure 4 and Table 7)

4. Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes group was the top agricultural export to ASEAN member countries

The top three major agricultural commodities exported to ASEAN member countries in 2020 were:

a. tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes, USD 230.82 million;
b. animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, USD 126.52 million; and
c. preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks’ products, USD 62.59 million. (Table 7)

5. Netherlands was the country’s major trading partner in export of agricultural goods among EU member countries

Exports of agricultural goods to European Union member countries in 2020 was valued at USD 1.04 billion which accounted for 14.9 percent of the country’s total exports to EU member countries.

Among the EU member countries, Netherlands was the country’s top destination of agricultural commodities worth USD 443.05 million or 42.8 percent of the total agricultural exports to EU member countries. (Figure 5 and Table 9)

6. Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes commodity group led agricultural export to EU member countries

The top three major agricultural commodities exported to EU member countries in 2020 were:

a. animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, USD 398.31 million;
b. preparations of meat, of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs, and other aquatic invertebrates, USD 231.49 million; and
c. preparation of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants, USD 142.40 million. (Table 9)

C. Agricultural Import

1. Agricultural import dropped by -7.1 percent

The total agricultural import was valued at USD 12.58 billion or a share of 14.0 percent to the country’s total imports in 2020. The total agricultural imports went down by -7.1 percent compared to its value of USD 13.53 billion in 2019. (Figure 6 and Table 1).

2. Cereals commodity group contributed the highest value of agricultural imports

Among the major commodity groups, cereals, with a value of USD 2.55 billion accounted for the largest share of 20.3 percent to the total agricultural imports in 2020. (Figure 7 and Table 5)

3. Vietnam accounted for the highest import value among ASEAN member countries

The country’s agricultural imports from ASEAN member countries in 2020 amounted to USD 4.34 billion or 18.2 percent of the total imports from ASEAN member countries. Vietnam, which accounted for USD 1.19 billion or 27.4 percent of the total agricultural imports from ASEAN member countries, was the major source of agricultural products in 2020. (Figure 8 and Table 8)

4. Miscellaneous edible preparations commodity group led agricultural commodities imported from ASEAN member countries

The top three imported agricultural goods from ASEAN member countries were:

a. miscellaneous edible preparations, USD 1.09 billion;
b. cereals, USD 938.76 million and
c. animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes, USD 877.05 million (Table 8)

5. Netherlands topped EU member countries on agricultural imports

The country’s agricultural imports from EU member countries amounted to USD 1.34 billion or a share of 20.4 percent to the total imports from EU member countries in 2020. Among EU member countries, Netherlands was the country’s top supplier of agricultural commodities valued at USD 280.15 million or a share of 20.9 percent to the total agricultural imports from EU member countries. (Figure 9 and Table 10)

6. Meat and edible meat offal commodity group was the top in terms of import from EU member countries

The top three agricultural commodities imported from EU member countries were:

a. meat and edible meat offal, USD 336.39 million;
b. dairy produce; birds’ eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere classified, USD 256.50 million; and
c. cereals, USD 176.93 million. (Table 10)

DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

EXPLANATORY NOTES

This Special Release features the preliminary figures for the imports and exports statistics of agricultural commodities of the Philippines in 2020. The agricultural exports and imports contained in this report are compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from documents collected by the Bureau of Customs.

The commodities are classified in accordance with the 10-digit 2015 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification (PSCC). The agricultural commodity groups are from chapters 01 to 24 of the 2015 PSCC. Chapters 01 to 24 relate to commodity classifications for live animals, meat and edible meat offal, fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, dairy produce; birds’ eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere classified, products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included, vegetables products, edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers, edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit melons, coffee, tea, mate and spices, cereals, malt, starches, inulin, wheat gluten, oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit, industrial or medicinal plants, straw and fodder, lac, gums, resins, gum-resins and oleoresins, vegetable plaiting materials, animal or vegetable fats and oils, waxes, prepared foodstuffs, beverages, spirits, vinegar, and tobacco (manufactured and unmanufactured).

The valuation used for foreign trade of agricultural commodities adopts the World Trade Organization agreement on customs valuation and this applies to both imports and exports. Exports of agricultural commodities utilized the free on board (FOB) value, also known as the cost of goods. FOB is the value of the goods free on board the carrier at the frontier of the exporting country. It includes inland freight, export duty, and other expenses. Ocean freight, insurance, and consular fees, however, are excluded. On the other hand, imports of agricultural commodities use the cost of insurance and freight values which include the transaction value of the goods, the value of services performed to deliver goods to the border of the exporting country, and the value of services performed to deliver the goods from the border of the exporting country to the border of the importing country.¹

Data request on imports and exports of agricultural commodities can be made at the PSA through the Trade Statistics Division of the Economic Sector Statistics Service with telephone number (02) 8376-1975 or email address tsd.staff@psa.gov.ph.

¹Source: IMTS Concepts and Definitions 2010, page 40 chapter 4. The value of transaction is expressed in US dollar.