Philippine electronics and semiconductor companies have adopted a conservative investment stance pending clarity on the US tariff policy, their industry leader said.
Earl Lawrence Qua, president of the Electronics Industries Association of the Philippines Inc., said on Monday US President Donald Trump’s latest announcement on his tariff policy regarding imported semiconductors only added another layer of uncertainty to the global investment environment.
“Many countries are still engaged in ongoing discussions with the US and the overall sentiment remains cautious. As a result, we expect companies to be conservative with long-term investment decisions until there is more policy certainty,” Qua said in a text message on Monday.
He added: “Given the fluidity of the current tariff environment, the industry is in a wait-and-see mode.”
Trump said in his social media post on April 13 his government would “look at semiconductors and the whole electronics supply chain” in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations. He added that the tariff rates would be announced over this week.
In response, Qua said: “Now there will be an added layer of complexity.”
Qua said some exceptions and implementation delays may only “offer temporary relief.”
“There is an understanding that these measures could be short-term in nature,” Qua said.
Most, if not all, Philippine electronics and semiconductor companies are housed in export zones under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s regulatory control.
The Philippines shipped $8.84 billion worth of electronics products to the US in 2024, which accounted for 72.8 percent of the country’s total exports to that last year.
