Total external trade in goods for November 2012 reached $8.685 billion, representing a 3.5 percent increase from $8.390 billion recorded during the same month in 2011. The increase can be attributed to the 5.5 percent positive growth of exports to $3.550 billion from $3.366 billion in the same month a year ago. Also, total imports expanded by 2.2 percent to $5.135 billion from $5.024 billion in November 2011. Thus, the balance of trade in goods (BOT-G) for the Philippines in November 2012 registered a deficit of $1.586 billion from $1.658 billion deficit in the same period last year.