Taguig city: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque remains optimistic on export growth for the rest of 2025 amid the impact of United States tariff on Philippine exports, citing market diversification as among the keys to address the issue.

According to Philippines News Agency, Roque declined to give any figures on the possible hit of the US protectionist policy on Philippine export growth this year, but stressed that "we will really try to maneuver, especially since this is not within our control." She stated, "The US tariff is really up to the US, so we just have to adapt to whatever changes or whatever they want from us," during the sidelines of the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo media launch in Taguig City on Monday.

Roque highlighted that several free trade agreements (FTA) are in the pipeline for the country, including those with the United Arab Emirates, Chile, Japan, and the European Commission. She mentioned that exporters are actively seeking other markets, particularly in Europe, in anticipation of the EU (European Union) FTA being finalized.

Furthermore, Roque noted ongoing negotiations on the 19 percent reciprocal tariff on US exports, with a proposal to levy electronics at 100 percent. She expressed confidence in sustaining strong export growth, citing a 26.1 percent annual increase in June 2025, up from 15.5 percent the previous month.

Roque is also focused on maintaining the PHP1.7 trillion investment approvals target for this year. She emphasized the importance of upcoming trade-related trips to the Middle East, Cambodia, Japan, New York, and France, which are aimed at discovering new markets and opportunities. "We're really finding more avenues, more markets, (and) more countries. And especially with all the Presidential visits na maganda naman ang response (which have positive responses)," she added.