Exports rose in December at their fastest pace in more than a year, climbing to a record NT$474.67 billion (US$14.04 billion) as electronics makers shipped more notebook computers, flat-panel displays and other goods, the government said yesterday.
For the full year of 2003, exports rose 10.4 percent from the previous year to NT$4.87 trillion (US$144.24 billion), the highest level in three years as a global economic recovery bolstered demand, the Ministry of Finance said.
The ministry said exports in December, which registered their fifth consecutive double-digit year-on-year growth, were boosted by gains of more than 21 percent in shipments to Hong Kong and China, as well as to Southeast Asian nations and Europe.
Exports, which account for about half of Taiwan's gross domestic product, are rising as economic growth gathers pace in China, the US and other key export markets.
The NT dollar's 15 percent slide against the euro and 7.7 percent fall against the yen in 2003 also helped the nation's manufacturers increase sales to Europe and Japan.
Sales to China and Hong Kong rose 30 percent in December to US$5 billion, the ministry said.
Many goods headed for China go through Hong Kong because of restrictions on trade between China and Taiwan. Shipments to the US increased 9.4 percent to US$2.4 billion.
Sales to Europe rose 22 percent to US$2.1 billion and those to Japan increased 9.1 percent to US$1.1 billion.
Exports of computer chips and other electronic products, which make up the biggest share of Taiwan's overseas sales, rose 33 percent to US$3.2 billion.
Sales of mobile phones and other telecommunications goods fell 3.6 percent to US$1.3 billion, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, December imports surged 33.4 percent from the year before to NT$446.27 billion (US$13.2 billion), the ministry said.
For the whole of last year, imports increased 13.1 percent to NT$4.30 trillion (US$127.26 billion).
The December trade surplus was NT$28.60 billion (US$846.2 million).
Trade surplus for all of 2003 was NT$574.07 billion (US$16.98 billion), the ministry said.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work