MANILA, Philippines — Export earnings in December 2011 continued to decline by 20.7 percent from $4.201 billion recorded in December of previous year to $3.332 billion due to continued weakness in electronics, the country’s biggest export item.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that export earnings for 2011 declined by 6.9 percent to $47.9 billion from $51.49 billion in 2010.

Accounting for 45.6 percent of the total exports revenue in December 2011, electronic products emerged as the country’s top export with total receipts of $1.519 billion, down by 32.7 percent from $2.256 billion registered in December 2010.

Among the major groups of electronic products, semiconductors got the major share with 33.6 percent to total exports, posting a negative annual growth at 30.7 percent from $1.616 billion in December 2010 to $1.120 billion.

Articles of apparel and clothing accessories followed as the second top export earner in December 2011 with total receipts of $148.98 million, up by 8 percent from its December 2010 level of $137.90 million.

Woodcraft and furniture ranked third with sales amounting to $131.87 million, up by 16.7 percent from $113.04 million posted in December 2010.

Ranked fourth in December 2011 and contributing around 3.2 percent share to total export receipts was ignition wirings sets with export earnings worth $105.39 million, up by 6.9 percent from $98.59 million.

Crude and refined coconut oil with about 3.0 percent share to total export receipts ranked fifth with value recorded at $99.14 million, down from $105.32 million in December 2010.

Other top exports in December 2011 were metal components, up by 1.6 percent; gold, extracted from copper ores and concentrates with export receipts worth $52.26 million, up by 26.2 percent; copper concentrates with recorded sales amounting to $49.96 million growing by 64.6 percent; sugar with export earnings worth $46.58 million accelerating by more than a hundred percent, the highest positive annual growth among the top ten exports in December 2011; and petroleum products with proceeds billed at $40.14 million, down by 44.6 percent. (EHL)