Sales generated by the wholesale sector in Taiwan contracted by 2.1 percent on an annual basis to NT$880.7 billion (US$28.79 billion) last month, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Wednesday.
The decline was mainly due to a 4.4 percent fall in the machinery equipment industry to NT$374.1 billion last month amid decreasing prices for DRAM and related electronics, as well as weakening demand, the ministry said in a report.
The machinery equipment industry — which includes computers, handheld mobile devices, electronics and electrical equipment, as well as machinery and other equipment — contributed the most to the wholesale sector.
Annual decreases in wholesale revenue of 6.5 percent in the construction materials industry and 9.3 percent in the chemicals industry to NT$84.9 billion and NT$42.7 billion respectively also played a part in the wholesale sector’s decline, the ministry said, adding that the main reasons were falling construction material exports and dwindling petrochemical product prices.
However, wholesale revenue in the automotive industry rose 16.5 percent last month to NT$66.6 billion, while the food, beverages and tobacco industry saw sales rise 3.1 percent to NT$102.8 billion, the report showed.
The ministry also released trade data for the nation’s retail and food-and-beverage sectors, shedding light on domestic trade.
Sales generated from the retail sector expanded 2.7 percent year-on-year to NT$311 billion last month, prompted mainly by general merchandise retail, which reported annual revenue growth of 2.2 percent to NT$102.1 billion.
Department stores, convenience stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets reported revenue increases for last month thanks to promotional events, the ministry said, adding that the back-to-school season and the Mid-Autumn Festival also helped spur sales.
The automotive industry reported a 22.5 percent surge in sales, while online shopping and mail orders saw sales increase 12.7 percent, but fuel sales slipped by 11 percent, the report showed.
Food and beverage sales last month rose 1 percent year-on-year to NT$64.6 billion, the ministry said.
In the third quarter, the wholesale sector’s sales dropped 2.3 percent to NT$2.67 trillion, while retail sector sales increased 4.7 percent to NT$946.8 billion and the food-and-beverage sector grew 3.8 percent to NT$206.2 billion, the ministry said.
The ministry provided a conservative outlook for the wholesale sector as international prices for raw materials fall.
However, the retail sector is expected to grow on the back of Double Ten National Day and end-of-year sales at department stores, it said.
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