Taiwan's textile exports reduced by 6.4 percent (Taiwan)

Taiwan Ministry of Finance announced Customs statistic of Taiwan’s import and export trade in April, Taiwan’s cumulative exports rose to US $96.37 billion from January to April, down 4.7 percent year on year. In contrast, its rival South Korea saw its annual growth rate slowed down over the same period, but still achieved a positive growth of 0.9 percent.

Lin Lizhen, director of the Statistics Department of Ministry of Finance, says that the strength of global economic growth remains fragile, plus fierce international competition, the possibility of significant growth of Taiwan's exports is not optimistic in the first half of this year.

South Korea's exports grew 0.9 percent year on year from January to April, Japan's exports increased 3.2 percent year on year from January to March, Singapore's exports gained 6.2 percent year on year from January to March, exports from Chinese mainland grew 7.6 percent year on year from January to March.

Lin Lizhen says that full-year export growth rates of these neighboring Asian countries achieved double digits in 2011, except Japan, but since this year, their export growth rates showed single digit, reflecting that exports from these countries generally slow down.

According to statistics of Taiwan Ministry of Finance, among 10 major exported products from January to April, exports of 8 products reduced compared with the same period last year, of which, information and communications products reduced by 16.1 percent, chemicals reduced by 11.4 percent, optical goods reduced by 9.4 percent, textiles reduced by 6.4 percent, electronic products reduced by 5.9 percent.

Exports of transportation equipment fetched US $3.72 billion, showing an annual growth of 13.5 percent, exports of mineral products obtained US $6.56 billion, an annual growth of 7.3 percent, a new high in record years.