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By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter
PHILIPPINE imports in June
continued to surge on the back of higher purchases of crude
petroleum and rice abroad, the National Statistics Office (NSO)
reported Tuesday.
The NSO said merchandise imports
rose 12.7 percent to $5.305 billion from $4.707 billion last year.
In May, imports were up by 11.3 percent to $4.783 billion.
For the first six months of the
year, total imports went up by 15.8 percent to $29.532 billion from
$25.506 billion during the first semester of last year.
Exports in the first six months
went up by 4.1 percent to $25.59 billion, resulting in a trade
deficit of $3.93 billion.
In June alone, the balance of
trade recorded a deficit of $791 million from a $559-million deficit
in the same period last year.
Electronics, which accounted for
32.9 percent of the total import bill fell 20.3 percent to $1.743
billion from last year’s $2.187 billion.
Imports of mineral fuels,
lubricants and related materials in June jumped 75.7 percent to
$1.216 billion over the previous year’s $691.98 million.
Purchases of cereals and cereal
preparation surged 162.7 percent to $367.43 million from $139.88
million year-on-year.
Imports of iron and steel were up
by 34.9 percent to $228.44 million from $169.40 million last year.
Rounding up the list of the top
imports for June were transport equipment at $195.80 million;
industrial machinery and equipment, $194.23 million; organic and
inorganic chemicals, $112.74 million; plastics in primary and
non-primary forms, $108.97 million; manufactured fertilizers,
$101.90 million; and textile yarn, fabrics, made-up articles and
related products, $76.85 million.
Payment for the country’s top
10 imports for June reached $4.345 billion or 81.9 percent of the
total import bill.
Japan was the Philippines’
biggest source of imports for June with an 11.6-percent share of the
total import bill and rising by 17.3 percent to $617.67 million from
$526.74 million last year.
The US followed with an
11.4-percent share, recording payments worth $602.75 million, or a
10.4-percent drop from $672.77 million in June last year.
Other major sources of imports
for the month were Singapore, $499.25 million; United Arab Emirates,
$413.86 million; People’s Republic of China, $412.49 million;
Saudi Arabia, $376.06 million; Taiwan, $316.40 million; Thailand,
$300.76 million; Republic of Korea, $279.21 million; and Vietnam,
$248.81 million.
Payments for imports from the top
10 sources amounted to $4.067 billion or 76.7 percent of the total.
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