PH TRADE DEFICIT LUMIIT, $2.47-B NOONG HUNYO

LUMIIT ang trade deficit ng bansa sa $2.47 billion noong Hunyo mula sa $3.55 billion sa kaparehong panahon noong nakaraang taon sa likod ng pagtaas ng exports.

Sa datos na ipinalabas ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), ang exports para sa nasabing buwan ay nasa $6.01 billion, mas mataas ng 1.5 per-cent kumpara sa $5.92 billion noong Hunyo 2018.

“This was due to the increases in export sales of the seven of the top 10 major export commodities,” anang PSA.

Ang pagtaas ay naitala sa exports ng mga sumusunod na items: cathodes and section of cathodes of refined copper, 41.7%; fresh bananas, 24.4%; gold, 10.1%; electronic products, 4.3%; machi­nery and transport equipment, 3.0%; at iba pang mi­neral products, 1.1%

Naitala naman ang imports sa $8.48 billion, mas mababa ng 10.4 percent kumpara sa $9.47 billion noong Hunyo ng nakaraang taon.

“The decrease was due to the decrements in nine of the top 10 major import commodities,” sabi pa ng PSA.

“Although exports enjoyed ‘modest’ growth despite trade war fears, the decline in imports could affect the second quarter economic growth,” wika ni ING Bank economist Nicholas Mapa.

“Budget delays, which also trimmed the gross domestic product growth in the first half to 5.6 percent, as well as high borrowing costs were risks to economic growth in the second quarter,” dagdag pa niya.