Philippine companies generated initial sales of $60 million at the China-ASEAN Expo 2026, the highest total the country has recorded at the event. The figure, from data compiled by the Department of Trade and Industry’s export promotion arm CITEM, beats the previous record of $49 million set in 2024.
The expo ran from September 17 to 21 in Nanning, China, and the Philippines took part as Country of Honour, a title it last held in 2013. The role gave Philippine companies a more prominent place at the fair than they would have in a regular year. It sent its largest delegation so far, with 313 members including 73 export enterprises. The companies covered agrifood, lifestyle, home and fashion, personal care, allied services, tourism, banking and pharmaceuticals. Durian was the best-selling product, according to CITEM. The result is a sharp recovery from 2025, when sales at the expo reached $18 million.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said she had expected higher sales this year and that trade and investment were continuing despite maritime tensions with China. “For us, trade keeps going,” she said, adding that demand for Philippine goods in the Chinese market was not a problem. Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz made a similar point, saying the two countries’ differences do not define the wider relationship and that trade and business bring jobs, revenue and new technology.
Exhibitors reported a similar mood on the ground. Loreta Sinag, a marketing assistant at first-time exhibitor Tongsan Industrial Development Corp., which makes coconut oil products, said the company had been told there were many buyers at the fair. She said tensions did not appear to dent Chinese consumers’ interest in Philippine products. Carol Ong, founder of skincare brand Bebebalm Inc., a long-time participant, described the expo as a way to test interest from Chinese shoppers, since a product that does well there is likely to find a market in China.
The $60-million figure covers initial sales, so the final total could change as deals are completed. Even so, the result gives the trade department a strong talking point as it pushes Philippine exporters, many of them small and mid-sized firms, into larger markets abroad. It also suggests that, for food and consumer goods at least, buyers in China are separating commercial decisions from the political disputes between the two governments.
