September represented another positive month after exports were up through the first half of the year
The Philippine banana industry has heralded another month of export growth, with new data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing September 2026 exports reached US$161mn, a 43.2 per cent increase from the US$113.08mn shipped in the same month last year.
According to a report from The Manila Times, export volume rose 32.5 per cent to 279,110 tonnes from 210,670 tonnes in September 2025.
Part of the growth was attributed to rising demand in Japan, the country’s top export market for bananas. Japan accounted for 71.1 per cent of total export earnings, or US$115.12mn for the month.
China ranked second with a 14.5 per cent share valued at US$23.48mn, followed by Korea, which accounted for 9 per cent, or US$14.56mn.
September’s figures reflect a strong year for banana export growth from the Philippines. Total Philippine exports from January to July rose 12.9 per cent to US$54.92bn, the highest January-to-July level since 1991.
Stephen Antig of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), said earlier in the year the industry was recovering from a few challenging years.
“In 2025, we exported a total of 3mn tonnes, which is 30 per cent higher than 2024. The first quarter of 2026 saw the Philippines exporting about 700,000 tonnes, which is also about 7 per cent higher than the same period last year,” said Antig.
