Taiwan's machinery output value up 17% to NT$97B. In Q1

Taipei, April 30, 2003 (CENS)--Taiwan's machinery makers have enjoyed increasing orders from abroad for the first three quarters of the year and the industry's production value is estimated to grow 17.16% from one year earlier to NT$97.298 billion in the first quarter, industry sources said.

According to the Industrial Technology Information Service (IT IS) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan's machinery output was valued at NT$34.907 billion in January and NT$26.318 billion in February and NT$36.072 billion in March, for a total of NT$97.298 billion in the first quarter.

In 2002, the production value of the local machinery industry came to NT$407 billion, up 7.74% from 2001. Based on the growth trend, the industry's output value is expected to post an annual expansion of 8.43% to reach NT$441.3 billion in 2003.

In the first three months of the year, the production value of metal moulds made in Taiwan came to NT$12.664 billion, up 42.45%. Rubber and plastics processing machines came second with output value of NT$9.221 billion.

Metal-cutting machine tools came third with NT$8.286 billion, followed by metal-forming machine tools with NT$4.471 billion and metal hand tools with NT$2.488 billion, among others.

Industry sources said that Taiwan's production value of machine tools is expected to break the NT$70 billion mark this year.