Despite posting a 4.2 percent drop in receipts, Electronics and Components remained as the top export for April 2000, with an aggregate value placed at $1.265 billion. About 57.0 percent of this amount came from exports of Semi-conductor Devices, manufactured from materials on consignment basis which netted $720.84 million which was 18.9 percent lower than the year-ago mark of $888.64 million. Digital monolithic integrated units which dominated the Micro-circuits comprised 17.5 percent ($221.4 million) of the aggregate revenue for Electronics and Components. Receipts from Other electronics and components consisting mainly of finished electrical and electronic machinery and parts, manufactured from materials on consignment basis, accounted for 17.6 percent and grew by 7.5 percent to $222.63 million from $207.03 million last year.

Receipts from Input/Output/Peripheral Units grew by 74.3 percent to $243.91 million from $139.93 million last year.

Fig. 1. Leading Philippine Export : April 2000

Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories not manufactured from materials on consignment basis accounted for 51.6 percent of the total receipts from the third top earner and was valued at $87.97 million which was 32.5 percent higher than $66.38 million in 1999,. Men's wear manufactured from materials on consignment basis valued at $28.92 million accounted for 17.1 percent while women's wear worth $29.08 million accounted for 17.0 percent. Children's and infant's wear followed with $13.20 million or 7.7 percent of the total.

Exports of Coconut Oil valued at $41.13 million went up by 147.5 percent from $16.62 million or an increase of $24.51 million. The steep climb was largely due to the 312.1 percent increase in sales of crude coconut oil which amounted to $30.58 million from $7.42 million a year back.

Exports of Electronics and Components to the United States amounted to $311.45 million which was 17.2 percent lower than $376.30 million last year. The United States share also fell to 24.6 percent from 28.5 percent. However the share of Singapore rose to 13.2 percent from 11.5 percent last year as the value grew by 9.5 percent to $166.73 million from $152.22 million. Netherlands and Taiwan followed with shipments of $150.58 million and $125.48 million, respectively. Other large markets for Electronics and Components were Japan (8.0 percent), Malaysia (6.8 percent), and Hongkong (6.7 percent).

The United States cornered 28.1 percent of the total exports of Input/Output/Peripheral Units for April 2000 with $68.47 million representing a 100.2 percent increase from $34.20 million in 1999. Receipts from Japan went up by 50.8 percent to $66.04 million with a share of 27.1 percent. Sales to Taiwan accounted for 12.3 percent and went up by 233.1 percent to $30.04 million. Other large markets were the Netherlands ($20.10 million), UK of Great Britain ($17.08 million), and Germany ($13.40 million).

SHIPMENTS OF GARMENT TO US REACH $125.41 MILLION

Aggregate receipts from the United States representing 73.6 percent of the total export value of Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories amounted to $125.41 million which was 26.4 percent higher than $99.21 million last year. Japan followed with a 5.6 percent share while at third was UK of Great Britain with a 4.1 percent share.

EXPORT OF COCONUT OIL UP BY 147.5 PERCENT

The United States cornered 48.0 percent of the exports of Coconut Oil. Valued at $19.76 million, sales to the United States grew by 181.6 percent from only $7.02 million in April 1999. Netherlands ranked second with payments increasing by 1023.1 percent to $17.00 million which was 41.3 percent of the total.