MANILA: The country’s imports climbed for the fourth straight month in September with increases in seven out of 10 major imported commodities, data from the statistics office showed on Wednesday.
Imports in September grew 6.7 percent to $6.17 billion, bringing the total imports in the nine months to September to $49.92 billion, up 2.3 percent from a year earlier.
Electronic imports made up nearly a third of the country’s total imports. Components or semiconductors, which comprise 26.5 percent of total electronic shipments, climbed an annual 41.5 percent in September.
Transport equipment, accounting for 9.3 percent of total imports in September and the second biggest import item, jumped 43 percent from last year.
Minerals fuels, lubricants and related materials, which accounted for about 9 percent of total imports and was the third biggest import item, declined nearly 57 percent from a year ago.
The Philippines had a trade deficit of $1.23 billion in September. That brought the trade deficit in January-September to $5.63 billion, wider than a deficit of $1.83 billion in the same period of 2014.
