Export orders surged 42.8 percent year-on-year to US$4.93 billion last month, marking the best April ever, Ministry of Economic Affairs data showed yesterday.
The increase represented 2.4 percent in monthly growth. The continued demand for tech gadgets, combined with the traditional sector roaring back, contributed to the exceptional growth, Department of Statistics Director Huang Yu-ling (黃于玲) said.
“Economists are continuing to revise growth upward as major economic countries become vaccinated and return to business as usual,” Huang said. “Major US investments in basic infrastructure are also triggering a worldwide increase in demand.”
Unlike last year’s export boom — which was widely based in technology, while traditional sectors languished — traditional categories this year are experiencing strong year-on-year growth.
Orders for basic metals are up 14.9 percent year-on-year and petroleum products rose by 11.2 percent.
However, technology sectors still led growth, with information communications and technology products rising 23.8 percent, and electronic products soaring 58.2 percent.
Despite widespread concerns about how a developing COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan could affect export orders from the supply side, Huang said that she is still upbeat about this month’s export orders.
“We are currently in [COVID-19 warning] level 3, which means production has not yet been affected. So far, the majority of manufacturers are still upbeat about production this month,” she said.
As the situation is evolving rapidly, the ministry would hold a news conference on Monday next week to update its assessment of the crisis and on the manufacturing supply situation, she added.
It would also address the possible effects of a water shortage and a possible electricity shortage on production.
Not all of the export products sold by local companies are made in Taiwan, Huang said.
“About 50 percent are made in Taiwan, while 40 percent are made in China and 10 percent elsewhere. Last year’s hard lockdown in China affected export orders because of the resulting work stoppages,” she said.
The department predicted that this month’s export orders would be from US$54.5 billion to US$56 billion, or up 40.1 percent to 44 percent year-on-year. Even on the low side, if the export orders reach ministry expectations, it would be the best May on record.
“We are confident that the demand would be there on the buyers’ side as a part of the global recovery, but we cannot say for certain whether there would be production disruptions,” Huang said.
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