The Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines—a chain of islands with limited arable land—has long depended on informal trade to access essential food and goods. Much of this trade involves unregulated maritime imports from nearby regions such as Sabah in Malaysia and Kalimantan in Indonesia, typically transported by wooden-hulled boats across the Sulu Sea.
This report explores the networks, routes, and practices of this informal cross-border trade, and how it intersects with local political tensions and the complex transition underway as part of the Bangsamoro Peace Process in Muslim Mindanao.
It also examines how policy changes in trade regulations, rice tariffs, and local governance have affected the dynamics of informal trade in the Sulu Archipelago, with special attention to rice importation.