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

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                                                         2006                  |        2005        |   Growth Rate
Commodity Group                             September    |      August         |      September     |        (%)
                                      FOB Value  % Share | FOB Value  % Share  | FOB Value  % Share | Monthly    Annual
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Total Imports                         4,324,102   100.00   4,883,658    100.00   4,337,202   100.00    (11.46)   (0.30)

Capital Goods                         1,612,650    37.29   1,538,448     31.50   1,501,282    34.61      4.82     7.42

  Power generating and specialized
    machines                            194,753     4.50     192,846      3.95     217,624     5.02      0.99   (10.51)
  Office and electronic data
    processing machines                 326,146     7.54     306,280      6.27     287,701     6.63      6.49    13.36
  Telecommunication equipment
    and electrical machines             902,197    20.86     883,530     18.09     850,350    19.61      2.11     6.10
  Land transport equipment excluding
    passenger cars and motorized cycle   64,624     1.49      57,359      1.17      51,490     1.19     12.67    25.51
  Aircraft, Ships and Boats              83,384     1.93      54,611      1.12      50,694     1.17     52.69    64.49
  Professional scientific and control-
    ling instruments, photographic
    equipment and optical goods          41,546     0.96      43,821      0.90      43,425     1.00     (5.19)   (4.33)

Raw Materials & Intermediate Goods    1,856,205    42.93   1,973,737     40.42   1,703,049    39.27     (5.95)    8.99

  Unprocessed Raw Materials             140,588     3.25     171,472      3.51     103,562     2.39    (18.01)   35.75
       Wheat                             56,377     1.30      21,228      0.43      20,425     0.47    165.58   176.03
       Corn                                 512     0.01         717      0.01       1,317     0.03    (28.59)  (61.14)
       Unmilled cereals excluding
         rice and corn                      324     0.01         504      0.01         194     0.00    (35.59)   66.99
       Crude materials, inedible         65,091     1.51     133,023      2.72      64,986     1.50    (51.07)    0.16
             Pulp & waste paper           6,054     0.14       4,776      0.10       5,699     0.13     26.74     6.22
             Cotton                       2,774     0.06       3,139      0.06       1,389     0.03    (11.63)   99.67
             Syn. Fibers                  6,424     0.15       6,923      0.14       5,633     0.13     (7.21)   14.04
             Metalliferous ores          22,383     0.52      85,929      1.76      22,891     0.53    (73.95)   (2.22)
             Others                      27,456     0.63      32,255      0.66      29,373     0.68    (14.88)   (6.53)
       Tobacco, unmanufactured           18,284     0.42      16,000      0.33      16,640     0.38     14.27     9.88
  Semi-Processed Raw Materials        1,715,617    39.68   1,802,266     36.90   1,599,487    36.88     (4.81)    7.26
       Feeding stuffs for animals        14,779     0.34      31,830      0.65      25,332     0.58    (53.57)  (41.66)
       Animal & vegetable oils & fats    13,438     0.31      10,314      0.21      11,203     0.26     30.30    19.96
       Chemical                         321,970     7.45     346,434      7.09     277,399     6.40     (7.06)   16.07
             Chemical compounds          89,198     2.06      95,412      1.95      60,815     1.40     (6.51)   46.67
             Medicinal and pharmaceutical
              chemical                   46,873     1.08      42,343      0.87      39,498     0.91     10.70    18.67
             Urea                        14,408     0.33       6,136      0.13       3,113     0.07    134.81   362.83
             Fertilizer excl. urea        4,659     0.11      19,460      0.40       6,067     0.14    (76.06)  (23.20)
             Artificial resins           87,425     2.02      85,185      1.74      83,283     1.92      2.63     4.97
             Others                      79,406     1.84      97,897      2.00      84,623     1.95    (18.89)   (6.17)
       Manufactured goods               331,389     7.66     351,204      7.19     320,990     7.40     (5.64)    3.24
             Paper & paper products      40,836     0.94      44,832      0.92      34,522     0.80     (8.91)   18.29
             Textile yarn, fabrics,
               made up articles          82,758     1.91      67,453      1.38      73,749     1.70     22.69    12.22
             Non-metallic mineral
               manufactures              15,059     0.35      17,120      0.35      13,632     0.31    (12.04)   10.47
             Iron & steel                81,537     1.89     106,661      2.18     109,532     2.53    (23.56)  (25.56)
             Non-ferrous metals          55,251     1.28      59,350      1.22      36,316     0.84     (6.91)   52.14
             Metal products              36,366     0.84      34,844      0.71      30,214     0.70      4.37    20.36
             Others                      19,582     0.45      20,943      0.43      23,025     0.53     (6.50)  (14.95)
       Embroideries                      23,816     0.55      22,877      0.47      23,289     0.54      4.11     2.26
       Materials/Accessories for the
         manufacture of electrical
         equipment                    1,005,481    23.25   1,039,608     21.29     937,242    21.61     (3.28)    7.28
       Iron ore, not agglomerated         4,744     0.11         -         -         4,032     0.09       -      17.64

Mineral Fuels, Lubricant and
 Related Materials                      477,570    11.04     944,361     19.34     757,511    17.47    (49.43)  (36.96)

  Coal, Coke                             24,697     0.57      24,955      0.51      13,404     0.31     (1.03)   84.25
  Petroleum crude                       283,019     6.55     651,566     13.34     534,572    12.33    (56.56)  (47.06)
  Others                                169,854     3.93     267,840      5.48     209,535     4.83    (36.58)  (18.94)
Consumer Goods                          321,456     7.43     363,714      7.45     279,250     6.44    (11.62)   15.11
  Durable                               170,836     3.95     135,632      2.78     130,070     3.00     25.96    31.34
       Passenger cars & motorized cycle  82,323     1.90      60,460      1.24      57,239     1.32     36.16    43.82
       Home appliances                   21,552     0.50      13,881      0.28      18,282     0.42     55.26    17.88
       Misc. manufactures                66,961     1.55      61,290      1.26      54,549     1.26      9.25    22.75
  Non-Durable                           150,620     3.48     228,082      4.67     149,179     3.44    (33.96)    0.97
       Food & live animals chiefly
        for food                        137,736     3.19     210,251      4.31     138,236     3.19    (34.49)   (0.36)
             Dairy products              28,411     0.66      40,635      0.83      22,637     0.52    (30.08)   25.51
             Fish & fish preparation      5,895     0.14       4,383      0.09       8,788     0.20     34.49   (32.92)
             Rice                        21,673     0.50      75,282      1.54      36,451     0.84    (71.21)  (40.54)
             Fruits & vegetables         11,291     0.26      10,753      0.22       8,785     0.20      5.00    28.51
             Others                      70,466     1.63      79,198      1.62      61,575     1.42    (11.03)   14.44
       Beverages & tobacco mfture.        4,500     0.10       9,602      0.20       3,987     0.09    (53.13)   12.88
       Articles of apparel, access.       8,384     0.19       8,229      0.17       6,956     0.16      1.89    20.54

Special Transactions                     56,221     1.30      63,398      1.30      96,111     2.22    (11.32)  (41.50)

  Articles temporarily imported
    & exported                           30,603     0.71      29,607      0.61      40,820     0.94      3.37   (25.03)
  Others                                 25,618     0.59      33,792      0.69      55,291     1.27    (24.19)  (53.67)

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Source:  Foreign Trade Statistics Section
         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:  November 24, 2006
Related press release | Foreign trade statistics index