The Department of Trade and Industry is pushing to expand exports of ube and other agricultural products, with Trade Secretary Cristina Roque calling ube and calamansi among the country’s newest “stars” in the export sector. Roque said Philippine agricultural exports continue to grow, with coconut remaining the country’s “superstar” export product after posting a 34 percent increase. She added that bananas and pineapples also recorded strong growth, but ube and calamansi are now rapidly gaining global attention.
According to the DTI Export Marketing Bureau, exports of ube-based products reached $3.06 million in 2025, with shipments largely going to the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and the Middle East.
The agency said processed ube products such as powder, puree, halaya, and flavor extracts continue to see steady demand abroad. Global manufacturers are also increasingly using ube in ice cream, baked goods, and beverages.
“In fact, Starbucks UK has an ube drink now,” Roque said.
The DTI said the rise in ube exports is opening opportunities for Philippine exporters to enter higher-value markets. The agency added it will continue supporting MSMEs and farmers by improving quality standards and strengthening supply chains to help Philippine ube compete globally.
The Philippines also recorded historic export sales of $8.17 billion in March 2026 despite tensions in the Middle East, marking the country’s highest monthly export performance since the Philippine Statistics Authority began tracking the data in 1991. This reflected a 20.4 percent increase from the $6.78 billion recorded in March 2025.
For the first quarter of 2026, total Philippine exports reached $22.7 billion, up 12.7 percent from the same period last year. Electronics and semiconductors remain the country’s top exports, followed by machinery, transport equipment, and mineral products.
Roque also expressed confidence that exports of ube and other Philippine products will continue to grow amid the possible signing of free trade agreements with the European Union, Chile, and Canada, saying these deals could provide Philippine goods with preferential tariff access in global markets.
