Taiwan's exports rose to US$26.6 billion in April, up 6.2% from the same month of 2013; this was the second-highest monthly figure ever and the third consecutive monthly rise, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
M.T. Yeh, director general of the MOF's Department of Statistics, attributes the export rise to the strength of markets in Europe and the United States resulting from economic recovery there. Yeh believes that the business climate in the second quarter will be even better.
In April, exports of electronic products rose 14.7% to a record monthly high of US$8.16 billion, with ICs, LEDs, and storage media all enjoying double-digit increases. Overseas shipments of solar batteries surged nearly 60%. However, exports of optical instruments and ICT products declined sharply by 13.4% and 11.5%, respectively, and those of minerals dropped by 3.4%.
In the same month, imports of capital equipment reached US$3.26 billion, jumping 18.9% from the corresponding month of last year. Among the imports, semiconductor and related equipment showed a considerable growth of 44.4%.
In terms of market areas, exports to the United States amounted to US$3.03 billion in April for an annual growth of 6%, the highest rise since November of 2011. Exports to Europe rose 13.1% to US$2.56 billion, marking the second consecutive month of double-digit growth. Exports to all of Asia were up by 5.5% for the month. (JL)
