Philippine imports fall 1.8pc in April

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MANILA, June 26 (AFP): Philippine imports in April fell 1.8 per cent from a year earlier to 4.336 billion dollars due to a drop in demand for electronic components used in the country's export industry, the government announced today.
Total imports in the first four months of the year however were at 16.307 billion dollars, a 3.4 per cent increase over the same period in 2006, the national statistics office said in a statement.
The office noted that the import of electronic components, which are the country's single largest import item, fell 17.3 per cent in April to 1.846 billion dollars.
Other key imports like cereals, iron and steel, plastics and industrial machinery also suffered double-digit falls in April, the office said.
The decline in imports in April caused the country's trade deficit in that month to hit 219 million dollars.