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Release Date :
Reference Number :
2019-185

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PHILIPPINE EXPORT AND IMPORT STATISTICS
SEPTEMBER 2019 (Preliminary)

Table A.1  Summary of External Trade Performance: September 2019 and September 2018

  Exports Imports
September 2019p September 2018r September 2019p September 2018
TOTAL        
FOB Value (in Million US Dollars) 5,898.02 6,052.78 9,017.49 10,076.42
Year-on-Year Growth (Percent) -2.6 1.1 -10.5 30.2
 
Electronic Products        
FOB Value (in Million US Dollars) 3,593.69 3,461.68 2,283.85 2,457.59
Year-on-Year Growth (Percent) 3.8 5.6 -7.1 30.8
Notes: 
p – preliminary, r – revised

Table A.2  Top 10 Philippine Exports to All Countries:  September 2019
Year-on-Year Growth in Percent

Gainers Losers
Other Mineral Products 89.6 Metal Components -25.8
Bananas (Fresh) 55.5 Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories -20.7
Electronic Products 3.8 Machinery and Transport Equipment -20.0
    Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles, n.e.s. -8.1
    Ignition Wiring Set and Other Wiring Sets Used in Vehicles, Aircrafts and Ships -7.0
    Other Manufactured Goods -6.3
    Gold -1.8
Notes:
p – preliminary

Table A.3  Top 10 Philippine Imports from All Countries: September 2019
Year-on-Year Growth in Percent

Gainers Losers
Telecommunication Equipment and Electrical Machinery 12.0 Iron and Steel -46.8
Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles 11.0 Cereals and Cereal Preparations -22.0
Other Food and Live Animals 1.6 Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials -14.5
    Plastics in Primary and Non-Primary Forms  -9.4
    Transport Equipment -7.8
    Electronic Products -7.1
    Industrial Machinery and Equipment -1.2
Notes:
p – preliminary

 

Figure 1

The country’s total external trade in goods in September 2019 reached USD14.92 billion, which reflected a decrease of 7.5 percent from the USD16.13 billion external trade in the same month of the previous year.  Of the total external trade, USD5.90 billion or 39.5 percent were exported goods and USD9.02 billion or 60.5 percent were imported goods.

The country’s balance of trade in goods (BoT-G) recorded a USD3.12 billion deficit in September 2019, lower by 22.5 percent from the USD4.02 billion deficit in September 2018.
(Tables 1, 2 and 3)

Figure 2

1. Exports decrease by 2.6 percent

The country’s total export sales in September 2019 was USD5.90 billion, which reflected a decrease of 2.6 percent from the USD6.05 billion total export sales in September 2018.  This was due to the decreases in export sales of seven of the top 10 major export commodities, namely, metal components (-25.8%); articles of apparel and clothing accessories (-20.7%); machinery and transport equipment (-20.0%); miscellaneous manufactured articles, n.e..s. (-8.1%); ignition wiring set and other wiring sets used in vehicles, aircrafts and ships (-7.0%); other manufactured goods (-6.3%); and gold (-1.8).  (Table A.1 and A.2)

Figure 3

By commodity group, exports of electronic products continued to be the country’s top export with total earnings of USD3.59 billion.  This amount, which accounted for 60.9 percent of the total exports’ revenue in September 2019, went up by 3.8 percent from the USD3.46 billion export receipt in September 2018.  Components/devices (semiconductors) accounted for the biggest share of 46.3 percent among the electronic products.  Exports for these electronic products moved up by 5.4 percent, from USD2.59 billion in September 2018 to USD2.73 billion in September 2019.  (Table 2)

2. Imports decrease by 10.5 percent

Total imported goods in September 2019 declined by 10.5 percent, from USD10.08 billion in September 2018 to USD9.02 billion in September 2019.  The decrease was due to the decrements in seven of the top 10 major import commodities. These were iron and steel (-46.8%); cereals and cereal preparations (-22.0%); mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (-14.5%); plastics in primary and non-primary forms (-9.4%); transport equipment (-7.8%); electronic products (-7.1%); and industrial machinery and equipment (-1.2%).  (Table 3)

Among the imported commodity groups, import bills of electronic products, valued at USD2.28 billion, contributed the highest share of 25.3 percent to the total imports.  Import of this commodity group went down by 7.1 percent, from USD2.46 billion in September 2018.  Among the electronic products, components/devices (semiconductors) accounted for the biggest share of 16.3 percent.  However, this commodity group declined by 15.3 percent, from USD1.73 billion in September 2018 to USD1.47 billion in September 2019.  (Table 3)

Figure 4

3. Exports of manufactured goods down by 2.4 percent

By major type of goods, exports of manufactured goods accounted for 85.5 percent of the total exports or a value of USD5.04 billion in September 2019.  It  decreased by 2.4 percent from USD5.16 billion export value registered  in September 2018.  This was followed by exports of total agro-based products and mineral products, which amounted to USD423.28 million and USD290.42 million, respectively. (Table 4)

Figure 5

4. Imports of raw materials and intermediate goods drop by 23.1 percent

Imports of raw materials and intermediate goods contributed the largest share of 35.4 percent to the total import value.  It declined by 23.1 percent, from USD4.15 billion in September 2018 to USD3.19 billion in September 2019.  Semi-processed raw materials contributed USD2.90 billion or 32.2 percent to the total imports.  

Imports of capital goods ranked second, which shared 32.5 percent or an import value of USD2.93 billion.  Consumer goods placed third with a share of 19.1 percent or an import value worth USD1.72 billion.  (Table 5)

Figure 5

5. Among the Philippine’s major trading partners, Japan accounts for the highest export value

By major trading partners, exports to Japan comprised the highest value of USD957.06 million or a share of 16.2 percent to the total exports in September 2019.  Exports to this country grew by 19.1 percent, from USD803.90 million in September 2018. Other major export trading partners were United States of America (USA), USD904.15 million; Hong Kong, USD868.59 million; People’s Republic of China, USD780.24 million; and Republic of Korea, USD329.43 million. (Table 6)

Figure 7

 

6. People’s Republic of China has the highest import value

People’s Republic of China was the country’s biggest supplier of imported goods with 23.6 percent share to the total imports in September 2019.  Import payments from this country amounted to USD2.13 billion, from USD1.95 billion in September 2018.  Other major import trading partners were Japan, USD831.88 million;  USA, USD643.50 million;  Republic of Korea, USD626.21; and Thailand, USD621.31 million. (Table 7)

Figure 8

 

7. Exports to countries in East Asia comprise 53.1 percent

By economic bloc, more than half (53.1%) of the country’s merchandise exports in September 2019 or USD3.13 billion went to countries in East Asia.  This amount grew by 10.8 percent, from USD2.83 billion in September 2018.  (Table 9)

Total exports to ASEAN member countries was valued at USD820.03 million, which represented  a share of 13.9 percent to total export value.  It decelerated by 17.0 percent from the export value of USD988.43 million in September 2018.

Goods exported to European Union (EU) member countries registered a value of USD695.69 million or a share of 11.8 percent.  It decreased by 4.8 percent from its value of USD730.85 million in September 2018.

Figure 9

8. Imports from countries in East Asia reach 47.7 percent

By economic bloc, East Asia was the biggest supplier of the country’s imports in September 2019, valued at USD4.30 billion or 47.7 percent of the total imports.  This amount decreased by 7.3 percent, from USD4.64 billion in September 2018.  (Table 10)

Commodities imported from ASEAN member countries reached USD2.37 billion which accounted for  26.3  percent  of  the total import.  This value  decreased by 11.3 percent from the recorded import value of USD2.68 billion in September 2018.

Moreover, imports from the EU recorded a value of USD743.89 million or a share of 8.2 percent.  It declined by 6.8 percent from the September 2018 import value of USD798.59 million.

Figure 10

 

 

 

 

 

CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph. D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

 

 

 

 

 

Explanatory Notes

Export and import trade statistics are compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from export and import documents submitted to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) by exporters and importers or their authorized representatives as required by law.  The PSA regularly collects these documents, which are as follows:

  1. Export Declaration (ED – DTI form);
  2. Import Entry and Internal Revenue Declaration (BOC IEIRD Form 236);
  3. Informal Import Declaration and Entry (BOC Form 177); and
  4. Single Administrative Documents (SAD)

The digitized copies of all documents are provided by BOC and PEZA to PSA on a monthly basis through email.

The output of the Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS) of the BOC is being utilized to generate export statistics. AEDS is a paperless transaction in lieu of the manual filling up of export documents.

Moreover, an electronic copy of the IEIRD, or SAD, is utilized to capture the monthly import figures.  SAD-IEIRD is an on-line submission of import documents either by brokers or companies.  These are transactions that pass through the Automated Cargo Operating System (ACOS), now called the e2m (electronic to mobile) customs system, which is implemented through the BOC e-Customs Project.

All documents (hard copies and e-files) received within the cut-off date, which is every 25th day of the month, are compiled, processed, summarized, analyzed and disseminated through monthly statistical tables and press releases. Processing includes coding, editing, review and validation of results. All documents received after the cut-off date are included in the generation of the revised monthly statistical tables which are available 10 to 15 working days after the press release date.

The press release for a reference month is due 40 days after the reference month.  However, if the due date falls on a Saturday, release is made a day earlier (Friday). If it falls on a Sunday or Monday, the release is on Tuesday.  If the release date falls on a holiday, the date of release is moved accordingly.

The 2015 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification (PSCC) is used to classify the commodities at 10-digit code level for statistical purposes.

Data requests on international merchandise trade statistics can be made at Philippine Statistics Authority, Economic Sector Statistics Service, Trade Statistics Division (telephone number: (02) 8376-19-75 or at email address, j.soliven@psa.gov.ph).
 

 

See more at the Foreign Trade landing page.

 

 

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