Taiwan July exports fall 24.4pct

Taiwan said on Friday that exports in July fell 24.40 percent year-on-year, in the smallest decline in eight months as demand for the island’s key electronics picks up.

Shipments for the month totalled $17.27 billion (S$24.81 billion) to a nine-month-high and up 1.9 percent from the previous month, the finance ministry said.

Imports dropped 34.10 percent from a year earlier to 15.24 billion dollars, leaving a trade surplus of $2.03 billion, the ministry said.

Sales of electronic goods fell 15.10 percent year-on-year to $4.96 billion over the same period, a marked improvement from January’s 45.3 percent dive, it said.

Exports to China and Hong Kong fell 20.60 percent year-on-year to $7.09 billion, but were up $300 million from June due to the uptick in electronics.

Shipments to the US were 28.6 percent lower at $1.96 billion and sales to Japan fell 20.2 percent to 1.21 billion.

In the first seven months of 2009, exports fell 32.80 percent to $105.75 billion from a year ago while imports were down 41 percent to $88.20 billion.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Money/Story/STIStory_413795.html

 

Category: Taiwan