The Philippine Ports Authority released data for the first half of 2026: foreign trade exports increased by 17.4%
In the first half of 2026, Philippine port cargo throughput reached 154 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.2%. Among them, foreign trade exports reached 42.06 million tons, a year-on-year surge of 17.4%, becoming the core driving force for shipping growth; container throughput increased to 4.3 million TEU. Regional ports such as Mindanao have experienced significant growth, and international foreign trade demand continues to remain strong.
Manila ——According to the latest official operating statistics released by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the cargo and container throughput of Philippine ports achieved steady growth in the first half of 2026, with the strong rebound in international foreign trade export goods being particularly eye-catching.
1. Overall throughput and import and export trade performance
From January to June 2026, ports nationwide under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority completed a total of cargo throughput of 154.033 million metric tons (MMT) , compared with 149.187 million metric tons in the same period in 2025, a year-on-year increase 3.2% .
In terms of freight structure, international cargo accounts for a majority of total throughput. 63.6% (up to 97.938 million metric tons), a year-on-year increase 7.1% . in:
- Foreign trade export goods : recorded 17.4% A significant double-digit increase, climbing from 35.818 million metric tons in the same period last year to 42.061 million metric tons , becoming the core pillar to promote the upward trend of port business;
- Foreign trade imported goods : The total amount reaches 55.876 million metric tons , slightly increased 0.5% ;
- Domestic goods : The total processing volume is 56.095 million metric tons , slightly down year-on-year 2.9% .
2. Comparison table of core operating data for the first half of 2026
| core operating indicators | First half of 2025 | First half of 2026 | Year-on-year increase or decrease (%) | Proportion/Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong’s total cargo throughput | 149.187 MMT | 154.033 MMT | +3.2% | official market statistics |
| total international cargo volume | 91.410 MMT | 97.938 MMT | +7.1% | Accounting for 63.6% of total goods |
| └International export goods | 35.818 MMT | 42.061 MMT | +17.4% | Main growth points of foreign trade |
| └International imported goods | 55.592 MMT | 55.876 MMT | +0.5% | Maintain a stable situation |
| total domestic cargo volume | 57.777 MMT | 56.095 MMT | -2.9% | Accounting for 36.4% of total goods |
| Total container throughput | 4.182 MTEU | 4.300M TEU | +2.8% | Maintain a steady upward trend |
| └ Foreign trade containers | 2.746 MTEU | 2.803 MTEU | +2.1% | Accounting for 65.2% of the total container volume |
| └ Domestic trade containers | 1.436MTEU | 1.497MTEU | +4.2% | Accounting for 34.8% of the total container volume |
| Ro-Ro vehicle (Ro-Ro) | 6.553 M Units | 6.876 M Units | +4.9% | Inter-island vehicle transportation is active |
| Number of international ship calls | 5,535 ships | 5,624 ships | +1.6% | The transportation capacity of foreign trade trunk lines is stable |
3. Container transportation and the regional pattern of the three major islands
In terms of container transportation, ports across the Philippines handled a total of 4.3 million standard containers (TEU) , year-on-year growth 2.8% . Among foreign trade containers, import containers increased by 3.6% year-on-year to 1.428 million TEU, and export containers increased slightly by 0.6% to 1.375 million TEU.
From the perspective of regional distribution:
- Luzon : Core hubs such as the Port of Manila are still the main force, with a container handling capacity of 3.281 million TEU (accounting for the entire Philippines). 76.3% ), with a total cargo volume of 85.065 million metric tons (accounting for the entire Philippines 55.2% ), a year-on-year increase of 1.0%;
- Mindanao : The most eye-catching performance, with cargo throughput increasing year-on-year 12.9% Reaching 40.515 million metric tons, the container handling volume increased by 3.0% to 778,700 TEU, and the production of agricultural products and bulk minerals has a significant driving effect;
- Visayas : The total cargo volume dropped slightly by 2.3% to 28.453 million metric tons, but container transportation bucked the trend and increased year-on-year. 8.6% to 240,600 TEU.
4. Outlook on Shipping Capacity and Logistics Trends
In the first half of the year, the total number of vessel calls in Hong Kong reached 331,000, of which the number of foreign trade trunk container and bulk cargo ship calls bucked the trend and increased by 1.6% (to 5,624 vessels). At the same time, inter-island roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vehicle traffic increased by 4.9%, reflecting the efficient flow of intermodal transport within the Philippine Islands.
Industry analysts pointed out that with the in-depth implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the continued deepening of economic and trade exchanges between China and the Philippines, the Philippines' foreign trade has shown a high degree of prosperity. Import and export cross-border cargo owners and freight forwarding companies should pay close attention to the peak period yard turnover and berth scheduling at hub ports such as Manila, and optimize the timeliness of trunk line bookings and customs clearance declarations.