Because of Typhoon Fanapi and fires at petrochemical firms, the momentum of Taiwan’s industrial output declined last month, indicating that the nation’s industrial output has been weakening after hitting new record highs in March, statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs showed yesterday.
The industrial output index was 123.79 last month, down 3.73 percent from August, but up 12.21 percent from the same month last year.
After hitting five straight record highs from March to July, factory output started to slow from August.
Production of the manufacturing industry — which accounts for more than 90 percent of Taiwan’s factory output and includes the electronics, chemicals, machinery, food and textile sectors — grew 13.1 percent last month from a year earlier.
Output of the electronic components sector was up 15.2 percent — the slowest growth in almost 12 months — as global economic growth ebbed and companies were cautious about excess inventory of end products, according to Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜), deputy director general of the ministry’s statistics department.
Output for chemicals expanded a mere 3.1 percent, because a typhoon disrupted operations of local petrochemical firms based in Kaohsiung last month, she added.
Factory output for the first nine months increased 30 percent from the corresponding period last year. This compared with 32.6 percent growth for Singapore, 21.6 percent for Japan, 20.8 percent for South Korea and 16.6 percent for Japan, the department said.
“Singapore’s strong factory output was attributed to the strong performance of the biotechnology sector, and that government’s push for public construction also fueled output of the construction sector,” Tsai said.
The department estimated the whole-year output would post at least a 20 percent rise, which is on course to set a record high.
The ministry said last week that Taiwan’s export orders — an indication of orders to come in the next one to three months — last month hit a record NT$35.98 billion (US$1.1 billion), up 16.7 percent from a year earlier, against a backdrop of strong international demand for Taiwanese electronic components.
The ministry yesterday also released local consumption figures for last month.
Total sales for the wholesale, retail and food and beverage sectors hit NT$1.17 trillion. It represented a rise of 7 percent from last year and 1.4 percent from August, according to the figures.
Combined sales for the first nine months increased 10.8 percent to NT$10.09 trillion.
The department singled out the sales growth of 13 percent for convenience store chains last month, which boosted retail revenue to NT$285 billion.
Tsai said the fresh-brewed coffee promotions from 7-Eleven, Taiwan’s largest convenience store chain, as well as its foray into own-brand, low-cost merchandise, also bore fruit.
The other factor was competitor Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店), which added 20 outlets to its nationwide network of 2,518 stores.
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