Taiwan's Machinery Exports Up 6.5% in First 11 Months of 2008

Taipei, Feb. 9, 2009 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$15.537 billion worth of machinery in the first 11months of 2008, representing a moderate 6.5% year-on-year rise, according to the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI). Despite the moderate growth in the cumulative exports in the first 11 months, exports of the products declined 7.7% year-on-year to reach US$1.259 billion in November last year alone.

Of the major export product categories in the first 11 months of last year, the machine-tool category led with export value amounting to US$3.49 billion, jumping 10.9% year-on-year. The category of special-purpose machinery was second with US$1.178 billion, up 7.6%. Other lesser categories of exports are tabled below.

The TAMI's statistics showed mainland China and Hong Kong together was the largest export outlets for domestically made machinery by buying US$4.26 billion of the products from Taiwan in the first 11 months of 2008, down 7.4% year-on-year and accounting for 27.4% of the total exports. The U.S. stood at the second place with US$2.455 billion, up 4.4% and commanding 15.8%. The third place went the Japan with US$929.12 million, up 8.2% and accounting for 6%.

Other major export outlets, in descending order, were Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Brazil, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Singapore, Canada etc.

TAMI's tallies also showed Taiwan imported US$17.377 billion of machinery in the first 11 months of 2008, up 4.3% year-on-year; but the export value decline 12.6% year-on-year to US$1.22 billion in November alone, indicating declining capital expenditures.

In terms of major imported machinery items, the category of special-purpose machinery led with a value of US$4.815 billion in the first 11 months of 2008, down 0.7% year-on-year and accounting for 27.7% of the total imports. The second place went to the category of machine tools with US$1.473 billion, down 36.9% and commanding 8.5%. The other lower-ranking categories are tabled below.

The TAMI said Taiwan still relied on the supply of advanced machinery from Japan and the U.S., with Japan being the island's largest supplier at US$7.494 billion in the first 11 months of 2008, up 5.8% year-on-year and accounting for a whopping 43.1% of the total imports. The U.S. was the second biggest supplier at US$3.572 billion, down 15.3% and commanding 20.6%.

TAMI's vice president C.C. Wang said Taiwan's machinery industry saw exports grow between 5% and 8% in 2008, despite the slowdown in the fourth quarter. Taiwan's machinery industry turned out products valued at NT$920 billion in 2008, up 7% year-on-year.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machinery (Jan.-Nov. 2008) Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Product Category	Jan.-Nov. 2007	Jan.-Nov. 2008	Annual Change (%)
1	Machine Tools	3,146,571	3,490,697	10.9
2	Special-purpose Machinery	1,094,668	1,178,395	7.6
3	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	949,188	1,014,244	6.9
4	Valves & Parts	861,863	890,171	3.3
5	Pumps, compressors, Fans	776,485	845,062	8.8
6	Bearings, Gears, Ball Screws	560,435	664,714	18.6
7	Machine-tool Parts & Components	613,324	652,783	6.4
8	Woodworking Machinery	620,312	569,404	-8.2
9	Molds & Dies	462,079	493,450	6.8
10	Textile Machinery	596,895	449,827	-24.6
11	Sewing Machines	354,769	338,979	-4.5
12	Paper Making, Printing Machinery	246,651	229,626	-6.9
13	Leather & Shoes Making Machines	73,465	80,356	9.4
	Others	4,235,403	4,640,287	9.6
	Total	14,592,108	15,537,995	6.5
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry