Export orders last month rose to a record high of US$26.63 billion from the US$26.21 billion registered in August on the back of strong demand from China, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
Last month's figure represents a 12 percent increase year-on-year, compared with an 18.34 percent year-on-year rise in the preceding month, the ministry said.
"The solid showing in September was derived from still steady expansion of the world economy, particularly strong demand from the Chinese market," said Chang Yaw-tzong (張耀宗), director-general at the ministry's statistics division.
Looking ahead, "there should be a 10 percent year-on-year increase" in export orders for the fourth quarter to December, he said, despite a possible softening of the US economy and an already hefty comparative base in the same period a year ago.
In the first nine months of the year, export orders amounted to US$218.42 billion, up 19.62 percent from the same period a year earlier.
Export orders from the US last month amounted to US$7.28 billion, up 13.20 percent year-on-year.
Orders from Hong Kong and China rose 21.81 percent year-on-year to US$7.04 billion, while orders from Japan decreased 3 percent to US$2.58 billion.
Orders from Europe amounted to US$4.46 billion, up 13.08 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.
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