Exports of Taiwan-made Machinery Grew 3.5% in First Four Months

Taipei, June 29, 2006 (CENS)--Taiwan's machinery makers exported US$4.276 billion worth of their products during the first four months of this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.5%, according to customs-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

Of the major export categories for Taiwan-made machinery, machine tools ranked first with an export value reaching US$874.39 million in the first four months of this year, up 8.5% from the corresponding period of last year. Special-purpose machinery held down second place with US$286.99 million, up 21.7% annually. The third place went to plastics and rubber processing machinery with US$284.65 million, advancing 2.3%. The fourth slot went to pumps, compressors, and fans with US$280.58 million, down 5.3%. Valves and parts ranked fifth with US$251.25 million, up 13.2%. Molds and parts placed sixth with US$198.25 million, up 5%.

Other major export items, in descending order, were textile machinery (US$191.9 million, up 10.6%), woodworking machinery (US$179.1 million, down 21%), bearings, gears and ballscrews (US$161.38 million, up 4%), sewing machinery (US$153.15 million, down 8.8%), papermaking and printing machinery (US$58.21 million, down 16.9%), and leather and shoe making machines (US$32.63 million, down 16.3%).

In terms of major export outlets, Hong Kong and mainland China together ranked first by absorbing US$1.442 billion worth of Taiwan-made machinery in the first four months of this year, up 4.6% year-on-year and accounting for 33.7% of the total exports. The U.S. came in second with US$705.6 million, down 3.8% and commanding 16.5%. Japan was the third largest export outlet with US$251.13 million, up 3% and accounting for 5.9%. Thailand held down fourth place with US$179.72 million, up 8.8%. Vietnam was the fifth-largest export outlet with US$124.97 million, down 13.9%.

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

The TAMI tallies also suggested Taiwan imported US$5.633 billion worth of general machinery in the first four months of this year, down 15.9% from the same period of last year.

In terms of major import items, special-purpose machinery ranked first with an import value reaching US$1.596 billion, down 36.4% year-on-year and accounting for 28.3% of the total imports. TAMI noted the imported special-purpose machinery will mainly be employed by such high-tech industries as semiconductor and 3C (consumer electronics, communications and computers) sectors.

The second place went to machine tools, which had an import value amounting to US$523.63 million, up 5% and commanding 9.3% of all machinery imports. Pumps, compressors and fans ranked third with US$363.88 million, down 0.8% and accounting for 6.5%. The fourth place went to engines and parts with US$246.76 million, down a whopping 30% and accounting for 4.4%. The fifth place went to valves and parts with US$196.96 million, up 18.4% and commanding 3.5%. Plastics and rubber processing machines ranked sixth with US$98.57 million, down 9.1% and accounting for 1.7%. Textile machinery ranked seventh with US$84.83 million, down 6.2% and accounting for 1.5%.

TAMI vice president Wang Cheng-ching noted the imported machines would be mainly used by such high-tech industries in the optoelectronics, communications, information-technology product, and semiconductor fields.

Wang said Taiwan still heavily relies on Japan and the U.S. for the imported machinery. Japan was the largest import source by selling US$2.782 billion worth of general machinery to Taiwan in the first four months of this year, down 29.1% from the same period of last year and accounting for a whopping 49.4% of the total imports. The U.S. ranked second with US$1.141 billion, down 0.2% and commanding 20.3%. Hong Kong and mainland China together ranked third with US$397.11 million, up 24.8% and accounting for 7%. The fourth rank went to Germany with US$370.49 million, down 7.3% and accounting for 6.6%. Other major import sources, in descending orders, were South Korea, Switzerland, Italy, the U.K., and France.

TAMI predicted that this year, Taiwan would see an annual growth of between 5% and 10% in exports, and that the annual growth rate in output would reach 10% to 15%.

Exports of Taiwan-made Machinery by Product Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Products	Jan.-April 2005	Jan.-April 2006	Annual Change (%)
1	Machine Tools	805,911	874,393	8.5
2	Special-purpose Machinery	235,903	286,994	21.7
3	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	291,490	284,657	-2.3
4	Pumps, Compressors, Fans	296,338	280,585	-5.3
5	Valves & Parts	221,951	251,251	13.2
6	Molds & Dies	188,729	198,257	5
7	Textile Machinery	173,524	191,909	10.6
8	Woodworking Machinery	226,617	179,108	-21
9	Bearings, Gears, Ballscrews	155,166	161,387	4
10	Sewing Machines	168,027	153,157	-8.8
11	Papermaking, Printing Machinery	70,037	58,215	-16.9
12	Leather & Shoe Making Machines	38,985	32,636	-16.3
	Others	1,258,113	1,324,140	5.2
Total		4,130,791	4,276,689	3.5
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry

　

Imports of General Machinery by Taiwan Unit: US$1,000
Rank	Products	Jan.-April 2005	Jan.-April 2006	Annual Change (%)
1	Special-purpose Machinery	2,511,429	1,596,340	-36.4
2	Machine Tools	498,836	523,632	5
3	Pumps, Fans, Compressors	366,926	363,884	-0.8
4	Engines & Parts	352,767	246,763	-30
5	Valves & Parts	166,355	196,963	18.4
6	Plastics & Rubber Machinery	108,493	98,579	-9.1
7	Textile Machinery	90,486	84,838	-6.2
	Others	2,602,091	2,522,385	-3.1
	Total	6,697,383	5,633,384	-15.9
Source: Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry