* Including transactions that passed through the Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS). 
p - preliminary 
r - revised

April 2007 MERCHANDISE EXPORTS INCREASE BY 5.0 PERCENT

Export earnings in April 2007 inched up by 5.0 percent to $4.114 billion from $3.918 billion in April 2006. Similarly, receipts from merchandise exports during January to April rose by 8.1 percent to $16.296 billion from $15.073 billion during the same four-month period in 2006.

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS GREW BY 1.1 PERCENT

Accounting for 62.2 percent of the aggregate export revenue in April, Electronic Productsslightly went up by 1.1 percent to $2.558 billion from $2.531 billion in April 2006.  Except forConsumer Electronics and Telecommunication, all electronic products recorded a year-on-year increase ranging from a low of 0.8 percent to a high of 490.9 percent.   Export receipts of the Electronic Products for January to April, on the other hand, increased by 7.1 percent to $10.426 billion from $9.735 billion during the same four-month period in 2006. 

Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories continued to be the countrys second top earner with a combined share of 4.0 percent and an aggregate receipt of $163.16 million or 6.3 percent higher than $153.57 million in April 2006.

Cathodes and Sections of Cathodes of Refined Copper ranked third with total revenue of $101.84 million, reflecting a 1.3 percent increase from $100.52 million in April 2006.

Petroleum Products ranked fourth with export receipts of $91.06 million or a year-on-year growth of 22.0 percent from $74.66 million in April 2006.

Woodcrafts and Furniture ranked fifth with sales amounting to $85.91 million or a growth of 18.9 percent from $72.25 million in April 2006.

Rounding up the list of the top exports for the month of April 2007 were Ignition Wiring Set and Other Wiring Sets Used in Vehicles, Aircrafts and Ships (consisted only of electrical wiring harness for motor vehicles), $70.96 million or an annual growth of 24.6 percent; Coconut Oil with an export value of $65.61 million, down by 20.4 percent; Other Products Manufactured from Materials Imported on Consignment Basis, $54.92 million or a decrease of 5.0 percent;Bananas (Fresh) with proceeds billed at $37.10 million or an increase of 8.3 percent; and Metal Components, with export revenue of $34.87 million or 49.9 percent growth from the same month in 2006, highest year-on-year growth for  April 2007.

Total receipts from the top ten exports reached $3.264 billion, or 79.3 percent of the total exports.

Fig. 1  Philippine Top Exports: April  2007 and 2006
(F.O.B. Value in Million US Dollars)
 

EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED GOODS UP BY 5.1 PERCENT

Accounting for 84.5 percent of the total receipts, export of Manufactured Goods was $3.475 billion, or a 5.1 percent growth from $3.306 billion in April 2006.  

Earnings from Mineral Products reached $250.75 million or 6.1 percent share of the total export revenue, recording a growth of 50.7 percent from $166.40 million in April 2006.

Income from All Agro-Based Products declined by 7.9 percent to $200.24 million from $217.41 million, while receipts from exports of Special Transactions also went down by 37.8 percent to $94.38 million from $151.69 million.

Petroleum Products, on the other hand, registered a growth of 22.0 percent to $91.06 million from $74.66 million in April 2006.  However, total export receipts for Petroleum Products during January to April 2007 declined by 17.4 percent to $244.36 million from $295.95 million during the same four-month period in 2006. 

Meanwhile, exports revenue of Forest Products went up by 163.1 percent to $3.44 million from $1.31 million in April 2006.  Inflows of receipts during January to April for Forest Productslikewise registered a growth of 100.4 percent to $13.77 million from $6.87 million during the same four-month period in 2006.

Fig. 2  Philippine Exports by Commodity Group: April  2007 and 2006
(F.O.B. Value in Million US Dollars)
 

EXPORTS TO UNITED STATES ACCOUNT FOR 15.4 PERCENT

United States of America (USA) remained to be the top market of the country for April with export receipts of $634.59 million, accounting for 15.4 percent of the countrys aggregate income for the month or a growth of 2.0 percent from $622.40 million in April 2006.

Japan followed with earnings of $579.62 million or a 14.1 percent share of the total exports for the month which resulted to a negative growth of 14.7 percent from $679.16 million in April 2006.

Netherlands emerged as the third biggest market for the month with shipments amounting to $531.82 million or 12.9 percent of the total, a decline of 27.7 percent from its year-ago level of $735.23 million.

Hong Kong, with $507.53 million or 12.3 percent of the total revenue, reflected a 104.8 percent increase from $247.86 million in April 2006, accounted for the highest year-on-year growth among the top markets of the country.

Other top markets for April 2006 were Peoples Republic of China, $417.11 million;Singapore, $222.12 million; Taiwan, $184.26 million; Malaysia, $180.98 million; Germany,$147.43 million; and Republic of Korea, $144.15 million.

Total export receipts from RPs top ten markets for the month of April 2007 amounted to $3.550 billion or 86.3 percent of the total.

Fig. 3  Philippine Exports by Top Markets : April  2007
(F.O.B. Value in Million US Dollars)

Technical Note:

Starting with the January 2007 Press Release, analysis and tables are based on the 2004 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification (PSCC) groupings.  This is in compliance with   NSCB   Resolution No. 03, Series of 2005 entitled Approving and Adopting the 2004 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification by all concerned government agencies and instrumentalities.

Source:    Foreign Trade Statistics Section
               Industry and Trade Statistics Department
               National Statistics Office
               Manila, Philippines