■ Cross-strait trade up
Bilateral trade between Taiwan and China in the first two months of the year jumped 40.6 percent year-on-year to US$8.49 billion amid increasing cross-strait investments, official data showed yesterday. Exports to China in the January-February period rose 36.2 percent to US$6.39 billion, equal to 25.5 percent of the nation's total exports, as compared with 23.6 percent a year ago, the Board of Foreign Trade said. Imports grew 55.7 percent to US$2.1 billion, which accounted for 8.9 percent of the total, up from last year's 7.6 percent. Taiwan enjoyed a surplus of US$4.29 billion, up 28.3 percent, on its trade with China, it said. The board attributed the growth to higher demand for electronic components and machinery in China as Taiwanese enterprises there increased investment.
■ Air deal signed with Japan
Taiwan and Japan signed a new aviation agreement yesterday that allows regular flights between Taipei and the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Sendai, the government said. Taiwanese carriers have flown charter flights to Hiroshima in the west and Sendai in the northeast for several years. Growing demand for the service prompted the upgrade to regular service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The new agreement became effective yesterday, the ministry said. Japan is Taiwan's biggest source of foreign tourists, making up about one-third of all visits. Last year, 650,000 Japanese tourists arrived.
■ EVA's profit increases
EVA Airways Corp (長榮), the nation's second-largest airline, said first-quarter profit rose 85 percent from a year earlier as demand for air travel increased.
Net income rose to NT$751 million (US$22.6 million), or NT$0.27 a share, from NT$407 million, or NT$0.16 a share, a year ago, the carrier said in a statement to the stock exchange. EVA Air is forecasting profit to double this year to NT$2.78 billion as demand for business and leisure travel surges and it fills more cargo space.
■ Asustek earnings higher
Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), the world's biggest maker of boards that connect electronic parts in personal computers, had a 29 percent gain in first-quarter profit. Net income rose to NT$4.3 billion (US$130 million) from NT$3.3 billion a year earlier, the Taipei-based company said in a statement. Sales rose 10 percent to NT$18.7 billion.
■ President Chain profit jumps
President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), which operates the world's third-largest 7-Eleven franchise, said first-quarter profit jumped 45 percent from a year earlier on higher sales of services and food. Profit rose to NT$633 million (US$19 million) from NT$437 million, according to the company's statement to the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Revenue rose to NT$19.5 billion from NT$17.8 billion. The company said this month it plans to spend about NT$3 billion this year to open 226 new stores and remodel existing outlets. The new stores would bring its total in Taiwan to 3,696. It has been boosting sales of fresh foods, including packaged meals, steamed buns and hard-boiled eggs. Many of the outlets also accept utility and credit-card payments.
■ NT dollar weakens
The New Taiwan dollar yesterday continued to lose ground against its US counterpart, declining NT$0.074 to close at NT$33.369 on the Taipei foreign exchange market. Turnover was US$787 million.
RSS