The industrial production index rose 14.16 percent year-on-year to 125.63 last month, driven by demand for servers and advanced semiconductors amid robust global investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
The manufacturing production index — which accounts for 93.72 percent of the overall industrial production index — rose 15.13 percent year-on-year to 127.81 last month, marking the 26th straight month of growth, but missing the ministry’s forecast of growth of 17.7 to 21.3 percent.
That came as makers of electronic components and computer devices, particularly server manufacturers, adjusted their product portfolios and shipments to align with customer demand, Department of Statistics Deputy Director-General Chen Yu-fang (陳玉芳) told a news conference in Taipei.
Photo: EPA
It was also due to a higher comparison base last year caused by tariff-related front-loading, Chen said.
Last month, computer-related devices, such as servers, switches, semiconductor inspection equipment and optoelectronics products, posted the greatest annual growth of 85.4 percent as chipmakers continued massive investments, she said.
That was followed by an 11.47 percent increase in electronic component production, especially 12-inch wafers and DRAM chips, she said.
Production of flat-panel displays increased 6.83 percent, reversing three consecutive months of declines, thanks to a lower comparison base last year, she said.
In traditional industries, machinery equipment output increased 9.69 percent last month from a year earlier, aided by greater demand for semiconductor, automation and printed circuit board-related equipment, while demand for traditional machinery and machine tools has yet to show a clear recovery, Chen said.
Base metal output grew 2.08 percent on restocking demand after China Steel Corp (中鋼) raised prices for several consecutive months, she said.
In contrast, chemical materials production declined 10.01 percent due to weak market demand and maintenance shutdowns at some production lines, while auto parts production fell 2.93 percent because of inventory adjustments by European and US clients, which reduced production of auto components such as vehicle lighting and electrical parts, Chen said.
In the first four months of the year, the industrial production index grew 21.13 percent and the manufacturing production index rose 22.71 percent from the same period last year, ministry data showed.
This month, the ministry expects the manufacturing production index to rise by 8.4 to 11.6 percent year-on-year.
The ministry has a positive outlook for this year’s industrial and manufacturing production, driven by expectations of continued strong momentum for high-performance computing and AI-related products, Chen said.
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