TWO-MONTH EXPORT REVENUES REACH $5.148 BILLION

Aggregate revenue from merchandise exports remained on the upswing as the two-month dollar inflow grew by 18.6 percent to $5.148 billion from $4.342 billion in 1998.

For February, total receipts amounted to $2.567 billion which was 15.2 percent higher than $2.227 billion a year ago.

ELECTRONICS AND COMPONENTS ACCOUNT FOR 53.3 PERCENT

Electronics and Components was the top dollar-earner for February 1999 comprising 53.3 percent of the aggregate value of exports. Actual receipts amounted to $1.369 billion increasing by 22.7 percent from $1.116 billion in 1998.

Input/Output/Peripheral Units ranked second with receipts amounting to $181.31 million, which increased by 28.1 percent from $141.56 million last year.

Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories was number three with receipts amounting to $163.12 million, declining by 12.6 percent from $186.64 million last year.

Ignition Wiring Sets and Other Wiring Sets Used in Vehicles, Aircrafts and Ships with exports valued at $36.52 million posted a 5.5 percent decline from $38.65 million last year.

Exports of Woodcraft and Furniture, valued at $31.64 million, was 12.5 percent lower than $36.14 million a year ago and comprised the fifth biggest group.

Metal Components, the sixth top export for the month, earned $25.76 million increasing by 1.2 percent from $25.47 million last year.

Other top exports for February 1999 were Other Products Manufactured from Materials Imported on Consignment Basis, $22.89 million; Cathodes and Sections of Cathodes of Refined Copper, $17.89 million; Gold, $17.16 million; and Bananas (Fresh), $17.01 million.

Payments for the top ten exports for the month amounted to $1.882 billion which was 73.3 percent of the total. 
  
 

EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED GOODS REACH $2.240 BILLION

Receipts from exports of Manufactured Goods grew by 14.7 percent year-on-year to $2.240 billion from $1.953 billion earlier.

Income from Agro-Based and Other Agro-Based Products combined for $91.74 million or 3.6 percent of the total. Compared to last year, total revenues from these commodity groups dropped by 44.6 percent from $165.61 million.

Other major commodity groups and their aggregate export values wereSpecial Transactions, $181.49 million; Mineral Products, $43.66 million;Petroleum Products, $9.08 million; and Forest Products, $843 thousand.

US TOP MARKET FOR PHILIPPINE EXPORTS

The United States remained as the top market as shipments valued at $743.95 million inched up by 1.6 percent from $732.00 million a year earlier. The share of exports to the United States was 29.0 percent.

Shipments to Japan, accounting for 13.5 percent of the total receipt, was the second for the month. Exports amounted to $346.49 million, which was a 6.0 percent decline from $368.61 million last year.

Netherlands followed as the third biggest market with export sales amounting to $236.71 million or 34.4 percent higher than $176.08 million last year.

Other major markets were United Kingdom of Great Britain, $147.43 million;Singapore, $141.02 million; Malaysia, $126.90 million; Hongkong, $126.53 million; Taiwan, $114.35 million; Canada, $94.20 million; and Germany, $84.58 million.

Aggregate receipts from the top ten markets amounted to $2.162 billion or 84.2 percent of the total.

Source: National Statistics Office
               Manila, Philippines