■ Forex numbers rise
Last month saw the second-largest monthly foreign-exchange export figure of US$17.63 billion, up 25.9 percent year-on-year, and a record monthly foreign-exchange import figure of US$16.99 billion, up 37.5 percent from a year ago, which has led to a surplus of US$642 million over that period, the central bank said yesterday. The international economic re-bound, Taiwan's robust trade, growing imports of agricultural and industrial raw materials and electronic component parts, soaring crude oil prices and quarterly earnings reports all contributed to the big leap in foreign exchange proceeds and payments, said Hsu Chung-yi (許忠義), deputy director-general of the bank's foreign exchange department. Foreign exchange exports reached US$147.12 billion between January and last month, a 26.5 percent increase from a year ago, while accumulated foreign exchange imports amounted to US$136.52 billion over the same period, a 31.5 percent jump year-on-year, resulting in a surplus of US$10.6 billion, the central bank said.
■ EVA raises cargo fares
EVA Airways Corp (長榮), the nation's second-largest air carrier, said it will raise charges for flying cargo to the US, as demand for air transport increases amid expanding trade between Asia and North America. "All the cargo flights going to the US from Taiwan are full," EVA Airways spokesman Nieh Kuo-wei (聶國維) said. He declined to say how much the rise would be. "We'll adjust fares according to market supply and demand," he said.
EVA and its larger competitor, China Airlines (華航), are benefiting from increased exports before the Christmas shopping season. The nation's exports last month increased 19 percent from a year earlier to US$15 billion after climbing 20 percent in August, the government said last week.
■ Chip equipment selling well
Global sales of chipmaking equipment rose 70 percent in August from a year earlier, the smallest gain in five months, two industry groups said in a release. Sales rose to US$2.48 billion from US$1.46 billion in the same month a year earlier, according to preliminary figures released in Tokyo by the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan and the San Jose, California-based Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International. Sales have increased for 13 straight months from year-earlier levels. They have slowed in the past four months. Sales of chipmaking equipment in August were led by Taiwan and South Korea, which saw figures more than double. Sales in Japan, North America and Europe also gained.
■ CSBC making a profit again
The state-owned China Shipbuild-ing Corp (CSBC, 中船) registered profits worth NT$470 million (US$13.9 million) in the first nine months of this year, far exceeding the annual profit target of NT$320 million, CSBC figures showed. CSBC officials attributed the gain to the recovering marine transport market and to the success of the company's revival plan, which began at the end of 2001. Under the plan, CSBC laid off more than 2,000 employees, cut salaries of the remaining workers by an average of 35 percent and streamlined its structure. The officials said orders are now booked until April 2008, with more than 40 ships worth NT$50 billion. CSBC's target is to deliver 14 ships this year.
■ NT dollar falls
The New Taiwan dollar traded lower yesterday against its US counterpart, falling NT$0.051 to close at NT$33.878 on the Taipei foreign exchange market. Turnover was US$420 million.
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