Taiwan's Machine Tool Makers Enjoy Influx of Orders in Q2

Taipei, April 21, 2008 (CENS)--After contributing a 13.4% growth to exports of the machinery industry in the first quarter of this year, Taiwan's major machine tool makers, including Awea Mechantronic Co., Ltd., Tong Tai Machine & Tool Co., Ltd., Goodway Machine Corp. and Roundtop Machinery Industries Co., Ltd., keep enjoying an influx of orders in the second quarter.

According to statistics compiled by Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI), Taiwan's machinery exports reached US$3.851 billion or NT$122.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, up 13.4% or 9.7% from a year earlier.

Noteworthy is that after Taiwan's legislative and presidential elections, Taiwanese companies, especially high-tech companies, have significantly increased their investment in production equipment on the island, with imports of machinery amounting to US$4.796 billion or NT$152.5 billion in the first quarter, surging 29.1% or 24.8% respectively from a year earlier.

Thanks to explosively growing orders from Europe, India, Russia, Brazil and other emerging countries, Taiwan's major machine tool makers have run at full capacity throughout the second quarter of this year.

Tong Tai posted shining sales performance in the first quarter due mainly to surging sales of machine tools to Europe and Russia, and doubled its single-quarter shipment of PCB (printed circuit board) drilling machines to 140 units in the quarter from a year earlier. At the moment, the company has received orders valued at nearly NT$2.9 billion.

On the other hand, Awea's production lines have been fully booked by orders till this September, which, with 30% from Europe and 40% from Taiwan and China, are valued at about NT$1.9 billion. In the meantime, orders received by Goodway will keep its production lines busy through August, and Roundtop has landed overwhelming orders from Europe and Russia, valued at NT$1.2 billion and mainly for machining centers.