Table 3  Philippine Imports by Major Type of Goods
         March and February 2006 and March 2005
         (FOB in Thousand U.S. Dollars)

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                                                         2006                  |        2005        |   Growth Rate    
Commodity Group                                March     |       February      |        March       |        (%)       
                                      FOB Value  % share | FOB Value  % share  | FOB Value  % share | Monthly    Annual 
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Total Imports                         4,137,837   100.00   3,357,689   100.00    3,832,011   100.00     23.23     7.98

Capital Goods                         1,330,497    32.15   1,196,868    35.65    1,274,184    33.25     11.16     4.42

  Power generating and specialized 
    machines                            180,973     4.37     158,434     4.72      163,247     4.26     14.23    10.86
  Office and electronic data
    processing machines                 252,260     6.10     221,515     6.60      281,333     7.34     13.88   (10.33)
  Telecommunication equipment   
    and electrical machines             771,789    18.65     676,932    20.16      722,042    18.84     14.01     6.89
  Land transport equipment excluding  
    passenger cars and motorized cycle   73,004     1.76      52,301     1.56       57,372     1.50     39.58    27.25
  Aircraft, Ships and Boats              17,526     0.42      48,074     1.43       11,051     0.29    (63.54)   58.60
  Professional scientific and control- 
    ling instruments, photographic
    equipment and optical goods          34,944     0.84      39,611     1.18       39,140     1.02    (11.78)  (10.72)

Raw Materials & Intermediate Goods    1,752,232    42.35   1,322,689    39.39    1,706,228    44.53     32.47     2.70

  Unprocessed Raw Materials             158,615     3.83      73,362     2.18      144,938     3.78    116.21     9.44
       Wheat                             61,123     1.48      27,539     0.82       36,768     0.96    121.95    66.24
       Corn                               4,355     0.11       8,322     0.25        1,092     0.03    (47.67)  298.92
       Unmilled cereals excluding 
         rice and corn                      630     0.02         334     0.01          308     0.01     88.78   104.39
       Crude materials, inedible         81,308     1.96      34,076     1.01       86,702     2.26    138.61    (6.22)
             Pulp & waste paper           5,295     0.13       5,046     0.15        6,626     0.17      4.94   (20.08)
             Cotton                       3,888     0.09       1,584     0.05        4,431     0.12    145.42   (12.27)
             Syn. Fibers                  5,659     0.14       4,151     0.12        8,080     0.21     36.34   (29.95)
             Metalliferous ores          32,160     0.78       1,225     0.04       37,419     0.98  2,525.44   (14.05)
             Others                      34,305     0.83      22,070     0.66       30,146     0.79     55.44    13.80
       Tobacco, unmanufactured           11,200     0.27       3,091     0.09       20,068     0.52    262.34   (44.19)
  Semi-Processed Raw Materials        1,593,618    38.51   1,249,327    37.21    1,561,290    40.74     27.56     2.07
       Feeding stuffs for animals        26,137     0.63      32,184     0.96       26,120     0.68    (18.79)    0.06
       Animal & vegetable oils & fats    13,777     0.33      10,055     0.30       11,185     0.29     37.01    23.17
       Chemical                         318,972     7.71     224,103     6.67      285,551     7.45     42.33    11.70
             Chemical compounds          80,127     1.94      52,370     1.56       76,982     2.01     53.00     4.08
             Medicinal and pharmaceutical 
              chemical                   45,697     1.10      39,424     1.17       39,605     1.03     15.91    15.38
             Urea                        11,409     0.28       3,078     0.09        5,220     0.14    270.71   118.55
             Fertilizer excl. urea        8,343     0.20       8,691     0.26        3,790     0.10     (4.01)  120.10
             Artificial resins           86,403     2.09      56,374     1.68       72,357     1.89     53.27    19.41
             Others                      86,994     2.10      64,166     1.91       87,596     2.29     35.58    (0.69)
       Manufactured goods               323,861     7.83     218,323     6.50      359,859     9.39     48.34   (10.00)
             Paper & paper products      44,096     1.07      29,665     0.88       36,463     0.95     48.65    20.93
             Textile yarn, fabrics,
               made up articles          73,555     1.78      47,470     1.41       57,653     1.50     54.95    27.58
             Non-metallic mineral 
               manufactures              17,649     0.43      14,040     0.42       16,174     0.42     25.71     9.12
             Iron & steel                71,719     1.73      51,562     1.54      159,279     4.16     39.09   (54.97)
             Non-ferrous metals          64,550     1.56      37,910     1.13       42,600     1.11     70.27    51.52
             Metal products              30,646     0.74      20,386     0.61       25,932     0.68     50.32    18.18
             Others                      21,647     0.52      17,291     0.51       21,758     0.57     25.19    (0.51)
       Embroideries                      17,426     0.42      10,142     0.30       20,100     0.52     71.83   (13.30)
       Materials/Accessories for the 
         manufacture of electrical 
         equipment                      887,125    21.44     746,017    22.22      853,777    22.28     18.91     3.91
       Iron ore, not agglomerated         6,320     0.15       8,503     0.25        4,697     0.12    (25.68)   34.55

Mineral Fuels, Lubricant and 
 Related Materials                      615,058    14.86     524,727    15.63      475,494    12.41     17.21    29.35

  Coal, Coke                             20,510     0.50       5,322     0.16       22,348     0.58    285.38    (8.23)
  Petroleum crude                       271,795     6.57     296,946     8.84      223,708     5.84     (8.47)   21.50
  Others                                322,753     7.80     222,459     6.63      229,437     5.99     45.08    40.67
Consumer Goods                          361,472     8.74     245,894     7.32      304,007     7.93     47.00    18.90
  Durable                               113,379     2.74      91,116     2.71      112,887     2.95     24.43     0.44
       Passenger cars & motorized cycle  44,073     1.07      35,190     1.05       46,767     1.22     25.24    (5.76)
       Home appliances                   18,922     0.46       9,625     0.29       18,012     0.47     96.59     5.05
       Misc. manufactures                50,384     1.22      46,301     1.38       48,109     1.26      8.82     4.73
  Non-Durable                           248,094     6.00     154,779     4.61      191,120     4.99     60.29    29.81
       Food & live animals chiefly 
        for food                        233,239     5.64     146,644     4.37      179,067     4.67     59.05    30.25
             Dairy products              49,401     1.19      31,049     0.92       48,860     1.28     59.11     1.11
             Fish & fish preparation      6,025     0.15       3,803     0.11        4,950     0.13     58.43    21.72
             Rice                        96,422     2.33      45,741     1.36       46,709     1.22    110.80   106.43
             Fruits & vegetables         13,110     0.32      10,552     0.31        9,330     0.24     24.23    40.51
             Others                      68,281     1.65      55,499     1.65       69,218     1.81     23.03    (1.35)
       Beverages & tobacco mfture.        6,353     0.15       2,838     0.08        6,274     0.16    123.87     1.26
       Articles of apparel, access.       8,502     0.21       5,296     0.16        5,779     0.15     60.52    47.11

Special Transactions                     78,577     1.90      67,510     2.01       72,097     1.88     16.39     8.99

  Articles temporarily imported 
    & exported                           38,787     0.94      34,735     1.03       40,958     1.07     11.66    (5.30)
  Others                                 39,790     0.96      32,775     0.98       31,140     0.81     21.40    27.78

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Source:  Economic Indices and Indicators Division
         Industry and Trade Statistics Department
         National Statistics Office
         Republic of the Philippines

Note:    Components may not add up to total due to rounding.

Page last updated:  May 25, 2006
Related press release | Foreign trade statistics index