Daily TribuneThe US sends 58 agribusinesses to Manila, testing a Trump-era deal as American exporters chase a fast-growing Philippine market hungry for food imports.
Last July, under Trump, Washington and Manila struck a trade agreement that quietly widened the door for American farm exports.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
They are coming with a very American idea: sell more, faster, everywhere.
From 14 to 16 April, the US Department of Agriculture will lead a trade mission to Manila dispatching a 58-member delegation of agribusinesses, trade groups and state officials into one of Asia’s most reliable growth stories.
Last July, under Trump, Washington and Manila struck a trade agreement that quietly widened the door for American farm exports.
Now comes the part where people walk through it.
Leading the delegation is Michelle Bekkering, a trade official tasked to convert into purchase orders. Her pitch (access, scale, repeat) is simple enough to fit on a grain sack.
The Philippines, with 118 million people and a middle class that keeps reaching for imported brands, has become the 10th-largest market for US agricultural goods, averaging $3.4 billion annually over the past five years.
Corn meets poultry. Dairy, distribution. Deals, if they come, will be inked. In conference rooms before they show up months later in supermarket aisles.
Four states (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin) arrive with product to move and markets to win.
The mission is part of a wider push. In 2025, similar trips connected more than 200 American firms with buyers from Hong Kong to Guatemala, generating $125 million in projected sales.
More are planned this year, including Australia and Vietnam.
