CV export shipments up by 26% in three quarters

Despite the effects of the global economic crisis taking toll on some industries, export volumes from Central Visayas managed to post a 26 percent increase in the first three quarters of this year, as reported by the Bureau of Customs.

Bureau of Customs deputy collector for operations Atty. Julito Doria announced during the recently held annual general membership meeting of the PhilExport Cebu, in behalf of BOC collector Ricardo Belmonte, that Central Visayas was able to register 26 percent increase in volume of export shipments for the past three quarters of this year and the value of shipments also went up by 68 percent compared to last year.

Doria also announced the top ten exporters for the first three quarters of this year.

Among these top exporters in the region included: Shemberg Marketing Corporation, the region’s top exporter of seaweeds; Profoods International Corporation, the largest Philippine-based producer of dried mango and processed fruit products; Mehitabel Furniture Corporation and Pacific Traders and Manufacturing Inc., the manufacturer of top-of-the-line wrought iron furniture.

Also included in the top ten exporters list is another carrageenan producer FMC Marine Colloids Philippines; CP Kelco Food industries; furniture exporter Dedon Manufacturing Incorporation, Berben Wood Industries, Celebes Agricultural Corp. and Cenapro Chemical Corporation.

Doria said that this positive figures show that despite this time of global crisis, exporters in the Philippines remain resilient.

He said that to aid exporters in their feat towards global competitiveness, the Bureau of Customs is already starting to implement the installation of high tech x-ray scanning devices for export products.

The device is not only to curb the issues on smuggling but also to address the requests imposed by the United States of America for the use of technologically advanced equipment, which will be mandatory in 2011.

Doria also said that BOC has also currently automated its processes including the handling of export declarations and documents for more speedy and accurate flow of export shipment processes.

“We believe that you will be able to get over the obstacles caused by the plague of the US crisis because throughout these years, the resiliency and creativeness of your sector has enabled you to go on. We encourage you to treat the crisis as a challenge rather than a problem and we ensure you that we will always be your partners,” Belmonte said in a statements read by Doria during the event.

“We will pool all our resources to create a synergy and head to one direction so that we can weather the plague,” Belmonte’s statement further said.

Meanwhile, despite the glooming forecasts of some economists, Philexport is still looking at around four percent increase for the national export industry this yearend.