MERCHANDISE EXPORT PERFORMANCE *
April 2012
( Preliminary )

* Includes transactions that passed through Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS).
** Increased by more than a hundred percent.
p - preliminary r - revised

MERCHANDISE EXPORTS FOR APRIL 2012 UP BY 7.6 PERCENT

Export earnings in April 2012 which amounting to $4.636 billion went up by 7.6 percent from $4.306 billion recorded in April of 2011. Similarly, on a monthly basis, it increased by 7.2 percent from $4.323 billion posted in March 2012. Moreover, aggregate merchandise exports for the first four months of 2012, showed an increase of 5.5 percent to $17.512 billion from $16.592 billion posted during the same first four months in 2011.

ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS DECREASE BY 23.8 PERCENT

Accounting for 35.3 percent of the total exports revenue in April 2012, Electronic Products emerged as the country’s top export with total receipts of $1.635 billion. It went down by 23.8 percent from $2.146 billion registered in April 2011. Compared to last month, Electronic Products were also down by 27.8 percent from $2.263 billion posted in March 2012. Components/Devices (Semiconductors) which comprised 26.5 percent of the total exports had the biggest share among the major groups of electronic products with export earnings worth $1.228 billion or a decrease of 29.4 percent from $1.738 billion registered in April 2011.

Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories followed as the second top export earner in April 2012 with total receipts of $151.20 million or a share of 3.3 percent to the total exports revenue. It grew by 14.3 percent compared to April 2011 level of $132.27 million.

Woodcrafts and Furniture, consisting 3.0 percent to total exports recorded as the country’s third top export with revenue valued at $137.55 million. It increased by 7.5 percent from $127.95 million recorded during the same month in 2011.

Ranked fourth in April 2012 and contributing 2.9 percent share to the total export receipts was Ignition Wiring Set and Other Wiring Sets Used in Vehicles, Aircrafts and Ships consisting only of electrical wiring harness for motor vehicles with earnings amounting to $134.53 million. This figure exhibited the highest growth rate among the top ten exports by 145.9 percent from its year ago level of $54.70 million.

Metal Components with 2.6 percent share to the total export receipts ranked fifth with value posted at $120.69 million. It increased by 113.2 percent from $56.61 million recorded in April 2011.

Rounding up the list of the top ten exports for the month of April 2012 were Coconut Oil including crude and refined with export revenue of $89.41 million decreasing by 53.9 percent; Gold extracted from copper ores and concentrates with export receipts of $78.00 million, accelerating by 80.0 percent; Bananas (Fresh) with export earnings of $55.02 million contracting by 20.1 percent; Petroleum Products including refined petroleum products, manufactured from crude petroleum oil imported on consignment basis with recorded sales of $41.31 million, decelerating by 6.0 percent; and Pineapple and Pineapple Products with proceeds billed at $30.50 million rising by 34.3 percent.

Total receipts from the top ten exports reached $2.473 billion, or 53.4 percent of the total exports.

EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED GOODS STANDS AT $3.957 BILLION

Accounting for 85.4 percent of the total export receipts in April 2012, outward shipments of Manufactured Goods was estimated at $3.957 billion, representing an increase of 15.7 percent from $3.421 billion recorded in April 2011. Similarly on a monthly basis, it went up by 7.0 percent from $3.700 billion recorded in March 2012.

Income from Total Agro-Based Products comprising 7.1 percent share of the total exports revenue in April 2012 went down by 17.0 percent from $394.99 million to $327.96 million. However, compared to its previous month level, it grew by 11.2 percent from $294.80 million in March 2012.

Earnings from Mineral Products with a share of 3.9 percent in April 2012 reached $182.33 million. It went down by 45.9 percent from $336.74 million in April 2011. On the other hand, export receipts from Special Transactions reflecting 2.7 percent share was higher by 15.1 percent to $123.21 million from $107.03 million in April 2011.

Petroleum Products accounting for 0.9 percent share of the total exports revenue decelerated by 6.0 percent from $43.95 million to $41.31 million. However, Forest Products with less than 0.1 percent share grew by 14.2 percent to $3.58 million in April 2012 from $3.13 million in April 2011.

EXPORTS TO JAPAN ACCOUNTS FOR 15.9 PERCENT

Japan including Okinawa getting 15.9 percent share of the total exports for April 2012 emerged as the country’s top destination of exports with revenue amounting to $738.79 million. It was lower by 0.4 percent from $741.92 million recorded a year ago.

United States of America (USA) including Alaska and Hawaii with 14.6 percent share to total exports followed as the second top market of the country for April 2012 with export earnings worth $677.47 million. This represented an increase of 19.2 percent from $568.28 million reported a year earlier.

Republic of Korea accounting for 14.2 percent share to total exports came in third with shipments amounting to $658.43 million. Compared to same month a year ago, this value expanded by 211.0 percent from $211.70 million.

People’s Republic of China ranked fourth in April 2012 with $497.34 million or 10.7 percent share of the total exports. The amount went up by 1.2 percent from last year’s amount of $491.35 million.

Fifth in rank and representing 8.8 percent share to total exports was Hong Kong with export earnings worth $405.54 million or a decrease of 4.7 percent from $425.39 million posted in April 2011.

Other top ten markets for April 2012 were Singapore, $373.30 million; Taiwan,$157.43 million; Thailand, $145.52 million; Germany, $140.30 million; and Indonesia, $125.87 million.

Total export receipts from the country’s top ten markets for the month of April 2012 amounted to $3.920 billion or 84.6 percent of the total.

EXPORTS TO EAST ASIA WORTH $2.461 BILLION

The merchandise exports of the Philippines to East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan) in April 2012 accounted 53.1 percent share to total exports, amounting to $2.461 billion or an increase of 17.6 percent from its April 2011 figure of $2.093 billion.

Exports to ASEAN member-countries accounting for 16.9 percent share to total merchandise exports in April 2012 reached $781.26 million, an 8.0 percent decline from $848.84 million recorded in April 2011.

Merchandise exports to European Union (EU), sharing 9.6 percent to total merchandise exports in April 2012 was valued at $446.30 million. It contracted by 19.1 percent from $552.00 million posted in April 2011.

Notes:

^1/ - includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, N, Korea, S. Korea, Taiwan

^2/ - includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

³/ - includes Alaska and Hawaii

^4/ - includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Latvia, and UK Great Britain & N. Ireland

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.

(Sgd.) CARMELITA N. ERICTA
Administrator

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