Taiwan’s export orders increased 0.9 percent year on year for December 2019 to US$43.78 billion, the first monthly rise in four quarters, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs Jan. 20.
 
Orders for the main exports sectors of machinery, electronics, and information and communication technology rose 5.1 percent to US$1.77 billion, 4.7 percent to US$12.18 billion and 0.4 percent to US$13.89 billion, respectively.
 
The strong machinery numbers were attributed by the MOEA to more inbound investment, greater demand from Hong Kong, and an easing of the trade war between the U.S. and China.
 
A similarly impressive result for electronics was credited by the MOEA to surging demand for 5G telecommunications devices, high-performance computing equipment, and internet of things products and smartphones. This trend carried over to ICT on the back of heightened activity in assembly of computer graphics cards and mobile phones.
 
Taiwan’s top source of orders remained the U.S. at US$12.71 billion, followed by China and Hong Kong, up 5.6 percent to US$10.39 billion; Europe, up 15.8 percent to US$10 billion; and Association of Southeast Asian Nations, up 4 percent to US$3.66 billion.
 
The MOEA expects orders growth momentum to continue in the near term. This is due to improving global trade conditions, rising oil and steel prices and additional use of advanced technologies. (YCH-E)
 
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