The nation’s industrial outlook remained lukewarm last month as some key sectors, such as the computer and electronics segment, continued to slow down amid reduced orders, according to the latest report released by local think tank the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台經院) yesterday.
Overall, the nation’s industrial prospects remain stable after signaling a “yellow” light for six consecutive months and scoring an anemic 14.91, indicating that the strength of growth is weak, according to the TIER report. In May, the outlook flashed a “yellow-red” light, indicating rising prospects.
SLOWDOWN
The computer, optical products and electronics segments flashed a “yellow-blue” light, the sign of a slowdown, for the third straight month since September, because of reduced orders, TIER said in the report.
The communications segment experienced a slowdown for the fourth month in a row in November amid sagging demand and rising raw material costs, the report said.
Computers and handsets are among some of Taiwan’s major export items. Compal Electronics Inc, (仁寶電腦), the world’s biggest contract laptop maker, posted a 3 percent monthly drop in November sales to NT$70.16 billion (US$2.4 billion).
LOOKING AHEAD
The TIER said the outlook for an increasing number of Taiwanese manufacturers looked stable last month. In terms of revenues, about 67 percent of manufacturers surveyed last month said they would have stable prospects, up from 40.56 percent in October.
The textile and machinery segments were two sectors with a strong outlook, according to the TIER, while the outlook for the electronic component, metal basics and non-metal mineral segments returned to stable from a slowdown “blue-yellow” in October and September.
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