DOMESTIC TRADE in 2017 declined year-on-year in both volume and value, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The statistics agency said domestic trade by volume in 2017 was 23.4 million tons, down 3.9% from a year earlier.
In value terms, domestic trade declined 12.2% to P765.38 million.
Commodity flow, also known as domestic trade, measures the flow of goods through the water, air and rail transport systems. In 2017, water transport accounted for 99.9% of the total and the remaining 0.1% was accounted for by air transport.
Most of the eight commodity categories monitored by the PSA gained in volume.
Chemical and related products rose 23.2% to 1.04 million tons. However, value fell 16.1% to P48.94 million.
This was followed by beverages and tobacco which were up 3.6% at 700,178 tons, while value plunged 26.6% to P33.35 million.
Coming in third were animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes which rose 3.1% by volume to 107,059 tons. Value, on the other hand, rose 103.7% to P6 million.
Other gainers were machinery and transport equipment (up 1.1% at 2.76 million tons) and manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (up 0.5% at 3.59 million tons).
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels fell 25.1% to 1.56 million tons while value rose 3.4% to P17.45 million.
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials fell 13.3% to 5.38 million tons with value dropping 12.9% to P68.86 million.
Miscellaneous manufactured articles fell 7.3% to 669,793 tons while food and live animals also declined 0.7% to 6.57 million tons.
The National Capital Region posted the highest outflow by value amounting to P206.4 billion or 27% of the total. This was followed by Central Visayas and Western Visayas with P118.63 billion and P115.88 billion, respectively.
Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) had the smallest outflow of P845.02 million.
In terms of inflow, Central Visayas shipped in P138.13 billion worth of goods last year, or about 18% of all traded commodities.
Meanwhile, the Cagayan Valley had the smallest inflow of P111.32 million. — Janina C. Lim
