Armscor guns for 2026 recovery after bruising US tariffs
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine firearms manufacturer Armscor Global Defense Inc. is betting on a recovery in 2026 after a bruising year marked by US tariff uncertainty, supply chain disruptions and weaker demand in its largest export market.
“Last year was a difficult year for us. There were temporary challenges, but it looks like (recovery is) on the way,” Armscor president and CEO Gina Angangco said during a media briefing on Tuesday. “This is a recovery year.”
READ: Armscor eyes new manufacturing plant in Rizal in next 2 years
In 2025, Armscor had to grapple with softer demand amid the six-month election gun ban in the Philippines, as well as broader uncertainty in the US market following the imposition of a 19-percent tariff on Philippine exports.
This disruption was particularly painful for Armscor, which exports more than half of the products it manufactures and counts the United States as its largest overseas market.
It was also last year when the company was hit by a sudden leadership transition following the death of then-president and CEO Martin Tuason Jr., who had led the company since 2012.
Angangco eventually succeeded him, becoming the first woman and first non-Tuason family member to lead the company in its more than century-long history.
Elizabeth Tuason, another third-generation Tuason who oversees Armscor’s global business operations, said the company now expects some relief following the series of US Supreme Court rulings striking down the “reciprocal tariffs.”
US demand picking up
Tuason said many customers had delayed purchases while waiting for greater clarity on tariffs and their potential impact on costs.
“Because of the confusion in the US, the US market didn’t know where they were,” Angangco said. “Things had to settle down, and now it’s picking up.”
This improving outlook has allowed Armscor to bring back workers who had been furloughed during the slowdown.
The company now employs more than 1,000 workers.
Beyond the United States, Armscor is also seeing growing interest from other markets. Angangco said the company received strong interest from potential customers during the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Malaysia earlier this year.
Some countries, she added, have also expressed interest in replicating Armscor’s manufacturing model, wherein ammunition components are produced in the Philippines before final assembly is completed closer to end markets.
New facility in Luzon
In the Philippine market, Angangco said demand was still being driven by end users rather than military personnel, adding that winning government contracts was merely a “bonus” for the company and not its primary focus.
Even as it focuses on recovery, Armscor continues to study expansion plans.
Angangco said the company’s previous plan to establish a manufacturing facility in Baras, Rizal, was no longer feasible due to opposition from the local community.
Instead, Armscor is evaluating alternative sites elsewhere in Luzon as it seeks additional space for future growth beyond its crowded Marikina facilities.
As the company charts its next phase post-Martin, Angangco vowed the company would not drop the grand plans Tuason had, even if there are near-term headwinds. INQ
