Taiwan Sees Machinery Exports Grow 5.1% in January

Taipei, April 8, 2008 (CENS)--Taiwan saw machinery exports grow 5.1% year-on-year to reach US$1.341 billion in January, according to customs-cleared statistics conducted by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

In terms of major export items in the machinery sector, the category of machine tools ranked first with export value reaching US$298.9 million in January, up 9.4% year-on-year. The second place went to the category of special-purpose machines with US$90.55 million, up 13.6%. The category of plastic and rubber processing machines stood at the third place with US$79.91 million, down 5.6%. The fourth place went to the category of valves with US$74.85 million, down 7.2%. The fifth place was occupied by the category of pumps, fans and compressors with US$71.8 million, up 2.6%. The sixth place went to the category of woodworking machines with US$61.32 million, up 13.7%.

Other major export items, in descending order, were the category of bearings, gears and ball screws (US$55.33 million, up 14.9% annually); the category of machine-tool parts and components (US$51.3 million, up 2.9%); the category of textile machinery (US$50.65 million, down 15.8%); the category of molds and dies (US$42.19 million, down 3.2%); the category of sewing machines (US$31.37 million, down 3.8%); the category of paper making and printing machines (US$24.46 million, up 3.5%); and the category of leather and shoe making machines (US$6.54 million, up 29.6%).

In respect of major export outlets, Hong Kong and mainland China together ranked first by absorbing US$370.07 million worth of Taiwan-made machinery in January, down 10.5% year-on-year and accounting for 27.6% of the total export value. The U.S. stood at the second place with US$220.56 million, up 2.2% and commanding 16.4%. Japan was the third-largest export outlet with US$71.02 million, up a mere 0.5% and accounting for 5.3%.

The fourth place went to Germany with US$52.44 million, up 51.2%. Vietnam was the fifth-largest outlet with US$47.71 million, up 41.4%. The sixth place went to India with US$42.46 million, up 34.5%. Other major export outlet, in descending order, were Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Untied Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, the Philippines, Mexico, United Arab Emirate, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.

The TAMI's tallies also showed that Taiwan imported US$1.799 million of machinery in January, up 29.9% from a year earlier.

In terms of major import items, the category of special-purpose machines ranked first with import value amounting to US$640.6 million in January, up a whopping 94.1% year-on-year and accounting for 35.6% of the total import value. The second place went to the category of machine tools with US$200.33 million, down 5.1% and commanding 11.1%. The category of pumps, compressors and fans stood at the third place with US$95.54 million, up 19.5% and commanding 5.3%. The category of engines and parts was the fourth-largest import item with US$66.71 million, up 2.2% and commanding 3.7%. The fifth place went to the category of valves and parts with US$51.72 million, down 1.5% and commanding 2.9%.

The category of textile machines stood at the sixth place with US$30.5 million, down 3.7% and accounting for 1.7%. The seventh place went to the category of plastics and rubber processing machinery with US$22.81 million, down 24.3% and accounting for 1.3%. The TAMI noted these imported items were mainly employed by such high-tech industries as optoelectronics, communications, information technology and semiconductor.

C.C. Wang, vice president of the TAMI, said Taiwan relies on Japan and the U.S. for the supply of state-of-the-art machinery in January. Japan was the island's largest import source by selling US$753.06 million worth of machinery to Taiwan in January, up 42.1% year-on-year and accounting for 41.8% of the total import value. The U.S. ranked second with US$455.15 million, up 28.2% annually and commanding 25.3%. The third place went the Hong Kong and mainland China together with US$150.95 million, up 25.1% and accounting for 8.4%.

Germany was the fourth-largest import source by selling US$137.58 million worth of machinery to Taiwan in January, up 23.2% year-on-year. Other major import sources, in descending order, were South Korea, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and France.

The TAMI predicted that Taiwan would be able to secure an 8% to 10% annual growth to see production value of machinery reach NT$96 million (US$3.14 million at US$1:NT$30.5) in 2008.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machinery (January 2008) by Product Category Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Product Category	January 2007	January 2008	Annual Change (%)
1	Machine Tools	273,270	298,900	9.4
2	Special-purpose Machinery	79,729	90,554	13.6
3	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	84,631	79,911	-5.6
4	Valves & Parts	80,702	74,852	-7.2
5	Pumps, compressors, Fans	70,009	71,809	2.6
6	Woodworking Machinery	53,958	61,324	13.7
7	Bearings, Gears, Ball Screws	48,146	55,338	14.9
8	Parts & Components	49,840	51,304	2.9
9	Textile Machinery	60,152	50,652	-15.8
10	Molds & Dies	43,600	42,192	-3.2
11	Sewing Machines	32,609	31,371	-3.8
12	Paper Making, Printing Machinery	23,641	24,461	3.5
13	Leather & Shoes Making Machines	5,047	6,540	29.6
	Others	371,564	402,408	8.3
	Total	1,276,898	1,341,616	5.1
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry

Imports of Machinery into Taiwan (January 2008) by Product Category Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Product Category	January 2007	January 2008	Annual Change (%)
1	Special-purpose Machinery	330,019	640,604	94.1
2	Machine Tools	2111,109	200,330	-5.1
3	Pumps, Compressors, Fans	79,970	95,547	19.5
4	Engines & Parts	65,258	66,717	2.2
5	Valves & Parts	52,529	51,720	-1.5
6	Textile Machinery	31,675	30,500	-3.7
7	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	30,148	22,813	-24.3
	Others	584,448	691,759	18.4
	Total	1,385,156	1,799,990	29.9
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry