Taiwan' s Machinery Exports Up 2.2% in Q1, 2006

Taipei, June 5, 2006 (CENS)--Exports of Taiwan-made general machinery amounted to US$3.101 billion in the first three months of this year, representing an increase of 2.2% from US$3.035 billion registered a year earlier, according to custom-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

In terms of export items, the category of machine tools ranked first with export value reaching US$631.94 million in the first three months of this year, representing an increase of 9% year-on-year. Special-purpose machines stood at second with US$214.2 million, up 22.8%. The third place went to the category of pulps, compressors and fans with US$204.96 million, down 6.7%. Ranking fourth was the category of plastics and rubber processing machines with US$204.71 million, down 5.2%. The fifth ranking went to vales and parts with US$181.45 million, up 10.3%. The category of molds and dies followed with US$149.53 million, up 7.9%.

Other major exported items, in descending order, were textile machinery (excluding sewing machines), woodworking machinery; sewing machinery; bearings, gears, and ball screws; paper-making and printing machinery; and leather and shoes making machines.

In terms of major export outlets, Hong Kong and the mainland together ranked first by absorbing US$1.047 billion in Taiwan' s machinery exports for the first three months of this year, up 3% and accounting for 33.8%. The U.S. ranked second with US$505.08 million, down 8.9% and commanding 16.3%. The third place went to Japan with US$181.77 million, up 2.3% and accounting for 5.9%.

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

The TAMI tallies also showed Taiwan imported US$4.096 billion worth of general machinery in the first three months of this year, down 16.9% year-on-year.

Of the major import items, special-purpose machines ranked first with import value reaching US$1.191 billion, down 34.1% year-on-year and accounting for 29.1% of the total imports. Machine tools ranked second with US$380.56 million, up 4.5% and accounting for 9.3%. The third place went to the category of pumps, compressors and fans with US$277.42 million, up 1.9% and accounting for 6.8%.

The fourth-largest import item was engines and parts with US$184.53 million, down 36.1% and accounting for 4.5%. The fifth place went to valves and parts with US$146.11 million, up 22.3% and accounting for 3.6%; followed by plastics and rubber machinery with US$71.96 million, down 6.4% and commanding 1.6%; textile machinery with US$61.85 million, down 9.7% and accounting for 1.5%.

Wang Cheng-ching, vice president of the TAMI, said the imported machines were mainly employed by such high-tech industries as optoelectronics, communications, information technology, and semiconductor.

Wang said Taiwan still heavily relies on Japan and the U.S. for the supply of advanced machinery. The TAMI tallies showed Japan was Taiwan' s largest machinery supplier, shipping US$2.015 billion worth of machines to the island in the first three months of this year, down 30.2% year-on-year and accounting for 49.2%. The U.S. was the second-largest supplier with US$861.6 million, up 4% and commanding 21%. Hong Kong and mainland China together replaced Germany as the third-largest import source by selling US$275.07 million worth of machinery to Taiwan, up 20.2% and accounting for 6.7%.

Germany retreated one spot to be the fourth-largest supplier by selling US$266.26 million worth of the products, down 10.2% year-on-year. Other major import sources, in descending order, were South Korea, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Italy, and France.

Taiwan Machinery Exports in Jan.-March 2006 by Products Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Products	Jan.-march 2005	Jan.-March 2006	Annual Change (%)
1	Machine Tools	579,864	631,947	9
2	Special-purpose Machinery	174,368	214,205	22.8
3	Pumps, Compressors, Fans	219,738	204,967	-6.7
4	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	215,915	204,715	-5.2
5	Valves & Parts	164,554	181,455	10.3
6	Molds & Dies	138,598	149,531	7.9
7	Textile Machinery	125,141	133,304	6.5
8	Woodworking Machinery	172,969	127,416	-26.3
9	Sewing Machines	129,783	111,961	-13.7
10	Bearings, Gears, Ball Screws	52,218	58,763	12.5
11	Paper-making, Printing Machines	52,280	44,294	-15.3
12	Leather & Shoes Making Machines	27,588	24,773	-10.2
	Others	982,662	1,014,459	3.2
	Total	3,035,678	3,101,790	2.2
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry

Taiwan Imports of General Machinery by Products Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Products	Jan.-March 2005	Jan.-March 2006	Annual Change (%)
1	Special-purpose Machinery	1,808,537	1,191,355	-34.1
2	Machine Tools	364,236	380,565	4.5
3	Pumps, Compressors, Fans	272,386	277,429	1.9
4	Engines & Parts	288,578	184,353	-36.1
5	Valves & Parts	119,494	146,117	22.3
6	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	76,862	71,960	-6.4
7	Textile Machinery	68,483	61,852	-9.7
	Others	1,929,746	1,782,478	-7.6
	Total	4,928,322	4,096,109	-16.9
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry