Indirect trade with China rose 12.9 percent in the two months to February from a year earlier due mainly to rising technology exports across the Strait, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
The US$4.68 billion in total trade in the period accounted for 14.8 percent of the nation's total foreign trade, up four percentage points from a year earlier, the ministry said.
Exports to China totalled US$3.82 billion, up 15.4 percent, and imports from China rose 3 percent to US$866.2 million, it said.
The nation enjoyed a trade surplus of US$2.95 billion, up 19.7 percent, the ministry said.
The surge in cross-strait trade was largely due to the increase in exports of Taiwanese electronics components to meet growing demand in the information technology industry in the mainland, the ministry said.
China has replaced the US as the country's largest export market since November while more Taiwanese firms are shifting their operations to China to take advantage of lower costs and the massive local market.
Trade between Taiwan and China has been conducted through third territories, mainly Hong Kong and Macau, because Taipei still bans direct exchanges between the two sides.
In February alone, cross-strait commerce totalled US$1.97 billion, down 13.5 percent from a year earlier due to fewer working days due to the lunar new year holidays, the ministry said.
Exports to China in the month dropped 13.5 percent to US$1.58 billions while imports rose 4.7 percent to US$388.9 million.
The ministry sees a bright outlook for bilateral trade amid growing demand for components from Taiwan by international companies manufacturing notebook computers, liquid crystal displays, mobile phone handsets and digital cameras in China.
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