Total external trade in goods for March 2013 reached $9.251 billion, representing a 4.6 percent decline from $9.694 billion recorded during the same month in 2012. This was due to the 8.4 percent downward trend of total imports from $5.371 billion to $4.922 billion in March 2013. On the contrary, exports showed a slight 0.1 percent increase to $4.329 billion from $4.323 billion in March 2012. Thus, the balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) for the Philippines in March 2013 registered a deficit of $593 million from $1.048 billion deficit in the same period last year.

Total external trade in goods for February 2013 reached $8.449 billion, representing a 10.4 percent decrease from $9.427 billion recorded during the same month in 2012. This was due to the 5.8 percent downward trend of total imports from $4.996 billion to $4.708 billion in February 2013. Similarly, exports showed a 15.6 percent decrement from $4.430 billion to $3.741 billion in February 2013. Thus, the balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) for the Philippines in February 2013 registered a deficit of $967 million from $566 million deficit in the same period last year.

Total external trade in goods for December 2012 reached $9.216 billion, representing a 14.6 percent increase from $8.040 billion recorded during the same month in 2011. The increase can be attributed to the 16.5 percent positive growth of exports to $3.971 billion from $3.407 billion in the same month a year ago. Also, total imports expanded by 13.2 percent to $5.246 billion from $4.633 billion in December 2011. Thus, the balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) for the Philippines in December 2012 registered a deficit of $1.275 billion from $1.226 billion deficit in the same period last year.