SUMMARY REPORT OF THE MERCHANDISE EXPORT PERFORMANCE FOR MARCH 2000
(Preliminary)

MERCHANDISE EXPORTS INCREASE BY 10.6 PERCENT IN MARCH

Aggregate merchandise exports for January to March 2000 increased by 9.6 percent to $8.607 billion from $7.852 billion a year ago.

Receipts from merchandise exports for March 2000 grew by 10.6 percent to $2.988 billion from $2.702 billion a year earlier.

ELECTRONICS AND COMPONENTS UP BY 6.2 PERCENT

Receipts from Electronics and Components, accounting for 51.0 percent of the aggregate for the month, went up by 6.2 percent to $1.523 billion from $1.433 billion a year earlier.

Input/Output/Peripheral Units was the second top earner with a combined export value of $274.99 million which was a 45.0 percent increase over $189.63 million in 1999.

The third top earner consisted of Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories valued at $190.79 million which grew by 14.4 percent from $166.75 million last year.

Revenue from Ignition Wiring Set and Other Wiring Sets Used in Vehicles, Aircraft and Ships grew by 36.5 percent to $51.26 million from $37.57 million in 1999.

Woodcrafts and Furniture ranked fifth with sales amounting to $42.87 million for a year-on-year increase of 6.1 percent from $40.40 million.

Exports of Petroleum Products nearly quintupled to $42.09 million from $8.68 million in 1999.

Rounding up the list of the top exports for the month of March 2000 were Metal Components, $33.40 million; Cathodes & Sections of Cathodes, of Refined Copper, $26.75 million; Coconut Oil, $25.37 million; and Other Products Manufactured from Materials Imported on Consignment Basis, $25.14 million.

Aggregate receipts for the top ten exports amounted to $2.235 billion, or 74.8 percent of the total.

MANUFACTURED GOODS POST 12.6 PERCENT INCREASE

Accounting for 90.3 percent of the total receipt, exports of Manufactured Goods increased by 12.6 percent as sales reached $2.699 billion, up from $2.397 billion a year earlier. This was principally due to electronic equipment and parts.

Income from Agro-Based and Other Agro-Based Products combined for $120.00 million or 4.0 percent of the total. Compared to last year, aggregate revenue for these commodity groups declined by 21.7 percent from $153.18 million due to lesser exports of coconut oil and centrifugal and refined sugar.

Exports of Mineral Products fell by 15.9 percent to $54.57 million from $64.90 million in 1999. Petroleum Products valued at $42.09 million and Forest Products amounting to $3.67 million posted increases of 384.9 percent and 255.1 percent respectively.

Special transactions dropped by 6.7 percent to $72.67 million while re-exports fell by 15.6 percent to $54.77 million.

EXPORTS TO US ACCOUNT FOR 29.7 PERCENT

Accounting for 29.4 percent of the aggregate receipt for the month, exports to the United States valued at $877.40 million rose by 10.5 percent from $793.88 million last year.

Japan followed with a 14.6 percent share. Valued at $435.52 million, exports to Japan grew by 9.8 percent from $396.66 million in 1999.

Exports to Netherlands, the third biggest market accounting for 8.4 percent of the total, decreased by 10.1 percent to $250.67 million from $278.83 million last year.

Taiwan was the fourth biggest market as shipments amounted to $231.22 million or 7.7 percent of the total. Compared to the last year figure, receipts increased by 41.5 percent from $163.41 million.

Other top markets for the month were Singapore, $215.24 million; Hongkong, $151.19 million; United Kingdom of Great Britain, $145.64 million; Republic of Korea, $114.02 million; Germany, $109.30 million; and Malaysia, $83.69 million.

Total export receipts from the top ten markets amounted to $2.614 billion or 87.5 percent of the total.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines