Export orders last month rose 12.5 percent from a year earlier to US$53.04 billion, reaching a five-month high, while also increasing 12.1 percent to US$149.47 billion in the first quarter from a year earlier, the Ministry of Economic Affairs reported yesterday.
Last month's figure was in line with the ministry's earlier estimate of US$52 billion to US$54 billion, up 10.3 to 14.5 percent from a year earlier.
On a monthly basis, export orders last month increased 7.3 percent, which the ministry attributed to increases in orders for information and communications technology (ICT), and electronic and optoelectronic products, despite declines in orders of base metal, plastic, rubber and chemical products.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
Export orders of ICT products last month rose 11.4 percent to US$14.81 billion from a year earlier, while those of electronics increased 21.8 percent to US$20.11 billion and those of optoelectronic products grew 10.4 percent to US$1.89 billion, the ministry said.
That came as continued demand from artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing customers in the US drove ICT orders for servers, Internet communications products and graphics processing units, while a boom in AI and high-performance computing led to a significant rise in IC orders, the ministry said.
Companies from the US placed the most orders last month, with orders growing 30.7 percent year-on-year to US$18.85 billion and accounting for 35.5 percent of total orders last month, Department of Statistics Director-General Huang Yu-ling (黃于玲) told a news conference in Taipei.
The two major growth drivers in US orders — ICT products and electronics — increased US$900.3 million and US$2.95 billion respectively from the previous month, she said.
US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy caused some US customers to front-load their orders, while some companies reported that customers were waiting for further clarity on Washington’s levies before placing orders, Huang said, citing feedback from firms.
China, including Hong Kong, placed the second-most orders last month, although the amount decreased 5.3 percent from a year earlier, accounting for 19.85 percent of the total.
Hefty US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods pose a considerable challenge for order prospects, Huang said.
“Orders from China and Hong Kong decreased, especially a US$470 million decrease in the electronics sector last month, owing to a transition period between old and new products of several IC design companies. Later developments still need close monitoring,” she added.
Europe, ASEAN members and Japan contributed 12.92 percent, 16.65 percent and 5.2 percent respectively to total orders last month, the ministry’s data showed.
The ministry forecast that export orders this month would reach between US$50 billion and US$52 billion, representing a month-on-month decline of 2 to 5.7 percent due to seasonal factors, but would be an annual increase of 6.2 to 10.4 percent.
“The annual growth rate for export orders for this month is still expected to show an upward trend,” Huang said, adding that the ministry’s forecast factored in the effects of US tariffs.
Ministry export order data included orders fulfilled through Taiwanese firms’ domestic production sites and those in overseas bases, with the latter accounting for 45.5 percent last month.
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