Intellasia News Services -- Taiwan's exports up 32.6pct in February

Taiwan's exports up 32.6pct in February
Source: 10-MAR-2010 Intellasia | AFP
10 Mar, 2010 - 7:09:00 AM
Taiwan's exports slowed from January but remained robust for a fourth-straight month, helped by strong demand for electronics products from China, the finance ministry said Monday.

February exports rose 32.6 percent from a year earlier to 16.69 billion US dollars, a slower rate of growth than the nearly 34-year high of 75.8 percent posted in January, mainly due to the Lunar New Year break, the ministry said.

February imports rose 45.8 percent from a year earlier to 15.80 billion dollars, while the island recorded a trade surplus of 899.7 million dollars, down 48.6 percent year-on-year, it said.

Sales of electronic products such as microchips and components accounted for 29.1 percent of the total exports in February and rose 57.2 percent from a year earlier to 4.86 billion dollars.

Shipments of optical goods such as liquid crystal displays soared 135.8 percent to 1.54 billion dollars.

Exports to China and Hong Kong, which combined is the island's leading export market, grew 31.8 percent last month from a year earlier to 6.62 billion dollars.

Sales to the US rose 23.3 percent to 1.89 billion dollars and shipments to Japan rose 13.5 percent to 1.20 billion dollars.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100309/tbs-taiwan-economy-trade-710a28b.html