Philippine merchandise trade in 2016 grew 5.8 percent from 2015, backed by double-digit growth of imports that offset exports decline, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Based on a report by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the full-year 2016 total trade reached US$137.4B, with the 14.2-growth in imports mitigating the 4.4 percent decline continue reading : PH trade growth up in 2016 on strong imports