Exports up 21.3% in August; copper cathodes surge
Manila (16 October) -- A SURGE in the global demand for electronics and copper pushed Philippine exports higher by 21.3 percent in August, the seventh straight month of a double-digit jump, to $4.26 billion from $3.96 billion a year earlier, the National Statistics Office (NSO) announced Friday.
January-August exports reached $30.95 billion, up 16.9 percent year-on-year.
Electronics exports reached $2.69 billion in August, up 14.7 percent from $2.349 billion a year earlier.
The double-digit growth showed the competitiveness of Philippine-made electronics products, an official of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.
It came despite a slowdown in demand in other Asia-Pacific countries, said Dennis Arroyo, NEDA director for policy and planning.
The government is targeting a 10-percent growth in exports this year. (PIA-MMIO) [top]
