Despite breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) and rising concerns about the future of outsourced jobs, the Philippines maintains a stable trade relationship with Greater Seattle, driven by the enduring strength and adaptability of its business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.
BPO resilience powers a stable partnership
According to Rebecca Lovell, chief operating officer of Greater Seattle Partners, the Philippines ranked as Greater Seattle’s 17th largest trading partner in 2024, with total trade reaching $1.05 billion. That’s up from $791 million in 2015, with trade peaking at $1.49 billion in 2017.
“Candidly, if we look at the five-year trend with our region, with Greater Seattle and the Philippines, it’s remained relatively consistent,” Lovell told a group of Filipino and Japanese journalists during a reporting tour organized by the U.S. State Department. She noted that the second half of 2025 might reveal whether any major shifts are underway.
While AI is widely seen as a threat to call center roles, Lovell emphasized that its impact depends on how the public and private sectors respond. “The private sector has its foot on the gas, right?” she said. “And the public sector’s job is to cover the break.”
Seattle, home to global tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft, is also the second most concentrated city for software engineers in the U.S., positioning it as a global leader in AI development.
Beyond BPO: diversified trade anchors long-term collaboration
While BPO continues to lead, the Philippines and Seattle enjoy robust trade ties in aerospace, manufacturing, education, and healthcare. Seattle’s status as Boeing’s hometown aligns strategically with the growing aviation sector in the Philippines, while academic and healthcare collaborations continue to strengthen talent pipelines.
These diversified sectors help buffer the risks posed by automation and AI in outsourcing. “While AI dominates discussions, our trade with the Philippines remains multifaceted,” Lovell said, highlighting that shared strengths in education and healthcare also fuel the long-standing economic connection.
As new AI-focused startup hubs such as AI House and Foundations emerge in Seattle, the city is doubling down to become a global AI center. However, this tech-driven momentum doesn’t necessarily threaten traditional partnerships. Instead, creates new opportunities for collaboration in AI-integrated services and digital upskilling.
With 2025 at its midpoint, Lovell noted that the full impact of AI on trade dynamics has yet to materialize. “That would be telling, to see what shifts,” she said.
For now, trade between the Philippines and Greater Seattle holds steady, a sign of the BPO sector’s adaptability and the broader resilience of this evolving economic partnership.
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Briones, J. A. (2025, June 14). Philippines-Seattle trade holds steady as AI challenges BPO sector. Outsource Accelerator. Retrieved from https://news.outsourceaccelerator.com/philippines-seattle-trade/
GeekWire. (2025, March 28). New startup hubs supercharge Seattle’s tech scene — just in time for the AI boom. LinkedIn. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-startup-hubs-supercharge-seattles-tech-scene-just-time-ai-evbqc/
