Revenues on imported dairy products jumped 20% to P1.89B in H1
The Philippines’ tariff revenues from dairy products climbed by nearly 20 percent in the first half of this year, bolstered by higher collections from various goods.
Collections amounted to P1.89 billion ($20.80 million) in the January to June period. This is an 18.9-percent increase from P999.67 million ($17.57 million) in the same period last year, according to the National Dairy Authority (NDA).
Figures that the NDA provided to the Inquirer showed that five dairy products posted increases during the semester. These are skim milk powder, whole milk powder, buttermilk/buttermilk powder, whey and cream.
These increases offset decreases in revenues from liquid ready-to-drink (RTD) milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk.
The NDA data indicate that the aggregate tariff rate applied to milk imports has remained at 3 percent since 2022.
As of end-June, cheese carries the highest import duty at 6 percent. It was followed by condensed milk and evaporated milk at 5 percent.
The tariff rate on cream stood at 4.5 percent. Meanwhile, a 3 percent import duty is applied to liquid RTD milk, buttermilk/buttermilk powder and curd.
The Philippines imported 1.73 billion liters of dairy valued at P43.26 billion, during the first half of 2025. That is an increase of 4.6 percent, based on the NDA data.
New Zealand is the leading source of imported dairy with a 31.79 percent share. It was followed by the United States with 22.13 percent. Other sources of dairy imports include Australia, Indonesia and Denmark.
The country is almost entirely dependent on imports to meet its dairy needs.
Domestic dairy output, meanwhile, rose by 11.35 percent to 18.6 million liters. This was valued at P1.08 billion.
The national dairy herd reached 166,411 heads, up 16.4 percent from 154,252 heads previously.
“The Philippine dairy sector is making measurable progress, as evidenced by increased dairy inventory, higher local production and rising production value,” the report said.
“However, the persistent and overwhelming reliance on imports continues to be a major challenge, highlighting the pressing need for targeted policy interventions and increased investment in local dairy production,” it added.
