The nation’s industrial production index last month rose 2.77 percent annually to 104.77, slightly higher than the government’s estimate, on the back of increased manufacturing in semiconductor and flat-panel industries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
The gauge for manufacturing output, which accounted for more than 90 percent of total industrial production, rose 3.8 percent annually to 106.13 and represented the ninth consecutive month of growth, ministry data showed.
“Semiconductors used in smartphones and high-end gaming PCs, as well as large flat panels for TVs, drove the growth in industrial production,” Department of Statistics Deputy Director-General Wang Shu-chuan (王淑娟) told a news conference.
Output of petrochemicals and basic metals increased 10.5 percent and 3.91 percent year-on-year respectively on improving global demand, which lent support to the growth in manufacturing, Wang said.
However, the production of computer electronics and optical devices fell for a fifth consecutive month, down 10.53 percent annually, due to a local smartphone vendor’s continued falling shipments.
Automobile and auto parts production also lingered in the negative territory for the second straight month, down 13.83 percent annually, due to rising international competition and falling car demand in the Middle East, Wang said.
The ministry expects manufacturing output this month would increase at least 10 percent from a year earlier on the back of a low comparison base last year, Wang said, adding that demand for semiconductors and flat-panels could help offset sliding shipments in computer electronics and optical devices.
In a separate statement, the ministry said that the wholesale sector saw revenue fall by 0.8 percent annually to NT$798.4 billion (US$25.97 billion) last month, ending three months of annual increase.
Wang attributed the decline to fewer working days last month in wholesale machinery and furniture industries.
The two industries contributed a combined 45.92 percent to total wholesale revenue, she added.
The retail sector saw revenue grow by 3.9 percent annually to a record high of NT$377.4 billion, driven by increased shopping during the Lunar New Year holiday and an annual increase of 25.9 percent in fuel sales, Wang said.
The restaurant and beverage sector reported record sales of NT$41.5 billion, surging 10.5 percent from a year earlier, due to robust demand for corporate banquets held for employees prior to the Lunar New Year, she said.
The ministry expects the wholesale sector’s revenue this month to swing back into positive territory, growing 15 percent on a low comparison base last year, Wang said.
Retail sector sales this month are expected to grow 1.5 percent, while the restaurant and beverage sector might see revenue fall 4 percent due to a higher comparison base last year, she said.
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