By Othel V. Campos
Export shipments from the Philippines and across Asia have been on hold since March 2025, as global buyers hesitate to place orders amid continued uncertainty over US trade tariffs, according to a logistics executive.
“There’s been a bit of a decline in movement, at least 10 percent in international shipping. Furniture exports from Cebu are still on hold, and some garment clients. Everyone’s in a wait-and-see mode,” said Airspeed Inc. chairperson and president Rosemarie Rafael in a chance interview at the Doing Business with the Philippine Forum on Tuesday.
Rafael said the trade environment has become increasingly volatile following the US decision to impose new tariffs, which are currently under a 90-day grace period.
“The tariffs have not been stabilized. Buyers don’t know whether to proceed with their orders or not. And while the Philippines is no longer a manufacturing hub like Vietnam, Cambodia, or Thailand, we’re still affected by the slowdown in outbound shipments,” Rafael said.
Rafael said the impact on logistics is especially felt in the export side of the business, which comprises about 70 percent of Airspeed’s international operations.
Projecting growth in the logistics sector remains difficult, Rafael said, but she remains cautiously optimistic. Past downturns such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, have shown that slow periods are often followed by recovery, she said.
Amid the current uncertainty, she cited the importance of regional cooperation, particularly within ASEAN, to reduce reliance on the US market.
As the world’s fifth-largest economy, ASEAN holds untapped potential, she said. “Instead of competing, member countries could find ways to complement one another’s strengths. The Philippines, with its population of over 100 million, offers a sizable domestic market that can also help cushion external shocks,” she said.
Markets in the Middle East, Africa, and other parts of Asia are among those Airspeed is eyeing for expansion.
“These are areas that have remained largely untapped. This is an opportunity in adversity,” Rafael said.
The logistics sector, she said, remains hopeful that trade negotiations would help reduce US tariffs, not just on China but also on countries that manufacture for China.
