The nation's exports rose at the slowest pace in seven months last month because of distortions caused by the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday.
Overseas sales rose 4.5 percent from a year earlier to US$16.84 billion after gaining 15 percent in December, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday in a statement.
The Lunar New Year fell in January this year and in February last year.
Exports have been driving the nation's economic growth as electronics makers such as Acer Inc benefit from rising demand for their computers and cell phones, causing them to expand.
Overseas sales may cool this year as the economies of China and the US slow, said economists including Cheng Cheng-mount (鄭貞茂).
"Growth may be losing steam gradually," said Cheng, chief economist at Citigroup Taiwan. The nation's statistics bureau in November said export growth may slow to 7 percent this year from last year's 8.8 percent.
Imports fell 7 percent to US$14.51 billion last month, leaving a trade surplus of US$2.33 billion for the month, the ministry said.
Beginning last month, trade figures are now compiled using the International Merchandise Trade Statistics Compilers Manual, the ministry said.
Acer, a Taipei-based computer maker whose shares jumped 67 percent last year and which gets about 90 percent of its sales from overseas markets, on Dec. 19 forecast that its profit this year will jump more than 30 percent to US$312 million as revenue rises.
The nation's exports of computer chips and other electronic parts rose 16.6 percent to US$4.61 billion after increasing 34 percent in December. Exports of information technology and telecommunications products fell 14.2 percent to US$807 million.
Sales to China and Hong Kong climbed 0.3 percent to US$6.34 billion last month after gaining 29 percent in December.
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