The total external trade of goods in Eastern Visayas amounting to USD 410.24 million in April 2024 indicates a 3.60 percent increase from the USD 395.97 million total trade in April 2023. This can be attributed to the 285.55 million imports in April 2024 which increased by 13.44 percent from 251.71 million in April 2023. Whereas value of exports in April 2024 was registered at USD 124.69 million, posting a decline of 13.57 percent from USD 144.26 million exports in April 2023.

Balance of trade in goods (BoT-G) in April 2024 was recorded at USD -160.86 million, indicating a trade deficit which widened by 49.71 percent from USD -107.45 million BoT-G in the same month of 2023.

EXPORTS

The total volume of goods exported by the region in April 2024 was 82.97 million kilograms with a total value of USD 124.69 million.

Copper and articles thereof commodity group dominated the exports market with sales amounting to USD 110.75 million in April 2024. This accounted for 88.82 percent of the total value of exports during the month. This is tailed by the commodity group of animal, vegetable, or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes valued at USD 11.87 million or 9.52 percent of the region’s total exports in April 2024. Other commodity groups contributed less than one percent to the total exports. Residues and waste from the food industries; prepared animal fodder valued at USD 1.22 million or 0.98 percent of the region’s total exports in April 2024. The commodity group of inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth, of radio-active elements or of isotopes accounted 0.60 percent or USD 0.74 million of the region’s total export. Pulp of wood or other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard contributed 0.09 percent to the total value of exports which is USD 0.11 million (Table 2).

Thailand was the main export market with USD 37.98 million worth of exports or 30.46 percent of the total value of exports in April 2024. Completing the top five (5) export destinations were Republic of Korea (South Korea) with USD 21.36 million (17.13%); People’s Republic of China with USD 18.59 million (14.91%); Indonesia with USD 18.43 million (14.78%); and Vietnam with USD 17.37 million (13.93%) (Table 3).

IMPORTS

The total volume of goods imported by the region in April 2024 was 163.36 million kilograms valued at USD 285.55 million.

Almost half of the total value of imports were the commodity group of ores, slag, and ash valued at USD 141.59 million (49.59%). This was followed by natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metals, and articles thereof, imitation jewellry; coin commodity group worth USD 69.65 million or 24.39 percent of the regions's total value of imports in April 2024. The commodity group of mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances; mineral waxes worth USD 41.92 million comprised 14.68 percent of the region's total value of imports during the period in review. Imported cereals valued at USD 14.02 million accounted for 4.91 percent of the region’s total imports. The commodity groups of nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof valued at USD 11.78 million was 4.13 percent. Other commodity groups contributed less than one percent of the region’s total imports in April 2024 (Table 4).

The major import supplier was Indonesia which accounted for USD 137.20 million or 48.05 percent of the total value of imports of the region in April 2024. The rest of the top five (5) import suppliers during the month were Chile with USD 42.74 million (14.97%); Australia with USD 29.14 million (10.21%); People’s Republic of China with USD 26.03 million (9.12%); and Vietnam with USD 14.73 million (5.16%) (Figure 3 and Table 5).

Technical Notes

Export and Import Trade Statistics are compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from copies of export and import documents submitted to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) by exporters and importers or their authorized representatives as required by law. PSA collects copies of the following accomplished forms:

1. Export Declaration (ED – DTI form)   
2. Import Entry & Internal Revenue Declaration (BOC IEIRD Form 236)   
3. Informal Import Declaration and Entry (BOC Form 177)   
4. Single Administrative Documents (SAD)

The output of the Automated Export Documentation System (AEDS) of the BOC is being utilized to generate export statistics. AEDS is a paperless transaction in lieu of the manual filling-up of export documents.   
Moreover, an electronic copy of the IEIRD, or SAD, is utilized to capture the monthly import figures. SAD-IEIRD is an on-line submission of import documents either by brokers or companies. These are transactions that pass through the Automated Cargo Operating System (ACOS), now called the e2m (electronic to mobile) customs system, a system implemented through the BOC e-Customs Project.

All documents (hard copies and e-files) received before the cut-off date which is every 25th day of the month, are compiled, processed and generated in monthly statistical tables for the preparation of Press Release. All documents received after the cut-off date, however, are processed and included in the generation of the revised monthly statistical tables. Final data revisions are made annually during the first quarter after the reference year to include documents received after the monthly revisions.

The digitized copies of all documents are provided by BOC and PEZA to PSA on a monthly basis through email.

The 2019/2022 Philippine Standard Commodity Classification (PSCC) is used to classify the commodities at the most detailed 10-digit code level for statistical purposes.

SGD. WILMA A. PERANTE   
Regional Director