Taiwan' s Machinery Exports Grew 2.1% in First Two Months

Taipei, May 18, 2006 (CENS)--Exports of Taiwan-made machinery amounted to US$1.952 billion in the first two months of this year, up 2.1% from the corresponding period of last year, according to statistics compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

In terms of major export items, the category of machine tools ranked first with an export value reaching US$388.29 million in the first two months of this year, an advance of 5.4% from the same period of last year. Special-purpose machines ranked second with US$133.18 million, up 18.8%. Plastics and rubber processing machinery held down the third place with US$132.36 million, down 5.6%. The category of pumps, compressors, and fans ranked fourth with US$130.4 million, down 6.8%. The fifth place went to valves and parts with US$112.4 million, up 10%. The category of molds and dies was the sixth-largest export item with US$95.3 million, up 8.7%.

Other major export items, in descending order, were textile machinery (US$83.72 million, up 4.5%); woodworking machinery (US$76.63 million, down 31.3%); sewing machines (US$71.16 million, down 10.9%); bearings, gears, and ball screws (US$36.59 million, up 22.8%); papermaking and printing machinery (US$30.9 million, down 16%); and leather and shoe making machinery (US$16.23 million, down 2.2%).

In regards to the largest export outlets of Taiwan-made machinery, mainland China and Hong Kong together ranked first by absorbing US$639.77 million worth of Taiwan-made machinery in the first two months of this year, up 1.2% year-on-year and accounting for a whopping 32.8% of the total exports. The U.S. was the second largest with US$318.76 million, down 7.1% and commanding 16.3%. The third place went to Japan with US$112.66 million, down 0.3% and accounting for 5.8%.

Other major export outlets, in descending order, were Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Germany, Indonesia, Turkey, Canada, India, the U.K., South Korea, Italy, Singapore, the Netherlands, Australia, Spain, the Philippines, France, Mexico, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Finland, and Saudi Arabia.

The TAMI tallies also suggest Taiwan imported US$2.597 billion worth of machinery in the first two months of this year, down 12.4% from the corresponding period of last year.

In terms of major import items, special-purpose machinery ranked first with an import value amounting to US$763.84 million in the first two months of this year, down 22.8% annually and accounting for 29.4% of the total imports. The second place went to the category of machine tools with US$243.43 million, up 9.2% and commanding 9.4%. The category of pumps, compressors and fans was the third largest with US$170.31 million, down 0.5% and accounting for 6.6%. The fourth place went to the category of engines and parts with US$109.91 million, down 41% and commanding 4.2%. Valves and parts ranked fifth with US$91.89 million, up 27.3% and accounting for 3.5%.

Other major import items, in descending order, were plastics and rubber machinery and textile machinery. TAMI said the imported machines were mainly employed in high-tech fields such as the opto-electronics, communications, information, and semiconductors industries.

Wang Cheng-ching, vice president of TAMI, said Taiwan heavily relied on the U.S. and Japan for imported precision machinery in the first two months of this year. As for the major sources of the imported machinery, Japan ranked first by selling US$1.24 billion worth of machinery to Taiwan in the first two months of this year, down 25.5% year-on-year and accounting for 47.7% of the total. The U.S. grabbed second place with US$568.61 million, up 4.2% and commanding 21.9%. The third place went to Hong Kong and mainland China with US$175.21 million, up 29.7% and accounting for 6.7%.

Other major import sources, in descending order, were Germany, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, the U.K., and France.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machinery in Jan.-Feb. 2006 by Products Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-Feb. 2005	Jan.-Feb. 2006	Annual Change
Machine Tools	368,495	388,299	5.4%
Special-purpose Machinery	112,129	133,187	18.8%
Plastics & Rubber Machinery	140,198	132,363	-5.6%
Pumps, Compressors, Fans	139,912	130,404	-6.8%
Valves & Parts	102,219	112,408	10%
Molds & Dies	87,667	95,309	8.7%
Textile Machinery	80,143	83,726	4.5%
Woodworking Machinery	111,598	76,633	-31.3%
Sewing Machines	79,877	71,164	-10.9%
Bearings, Gears, Ball Screws	29,804	36,592	22.8%
Papermaking, Printing Machinery	36,776	30,909	-16%
Leather & Shoes Making Machinery	16,604	16,238	-2.2%
Others	607,203	644,921	6.2%
Total	1,912,625	1,952,153	2.1%
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry

　

Imports of Machinery by Taiwan in Jan.-Feb. 2006 by Products Unit: US$1,000
Products	Jan.-Feb. 2005	Jan.-Feb. 2006	Annual Change
Special-purpose Machinery	989,051	763,842	-22.8%
Machine Tools	222,931	243,434	9.2%
Pumps, Fans, Compressors	171,169	170,312	-0.5%
Engines & Parts	186,145	109,916	-41%
Valves & Parts	72,210	91,893	27.3%
Plastics & Rubber Machinery	53,637	41,868	-21.9%
Textile Machinery	44,201	40,580	-8.2%
Others	1,227,347	1,135,526	-7.5%
Total	2,966,691	2,597,371	-12.4%
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry