Taiwan's textile machinery exports down slightly in first four months

Taipei, July 22, 2005 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$341.55 million worth of textile machinery in the first four months of this year, edging down 0.5% from the corresponding period of last year, according to statistics compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

Of major exported textile machinery, fiber-making machines saw exports plunge 81.6% year-on-year to US$610,000 in the first four months of this year; yarn-spinning machines down 12.1% to US$20.37 million; shuttle-room machines down 16.1% to US$6.5 million; weaving machines up 12.9% to reach US$48.13 million; ancillary machines for yarn spinning and weaving down 16.2% to US$35.632 million; wrappers up 3.5% to US$52.67 million; and sewing machines up 1.6% to US$168.02 million.

TAMI said Hong Kong and mainland China together were Taiwan's largest export outlet by absorbing US$115.2 million worth of the products in the first four months of this year, accounting for 33.7% of the total exports, followed by Japan with US$33.02 million and 9.7%, and the U.S. with US$29.71 million and 8.7%. Other major outlets, in descending order, included Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The same tallies also showed Taiwan exported US$226.61 million worth of woodworking machinery in the first four months, up 5% from the corresponding period of last year.

The U.S. was the largest export outlet for Taiwan-made woodworking machinery in the first four months, absorbing US$98.2 million worth of the products, down 8.7% annually and accounting for 43.3% of the total exports. Hong Kong and mainland China together ranked second with US$44.72 million, up 15.6% and commanding 19.7%. The third place went to Canada with US$14.57 million, up 26% and accounting for 6.4%.

Other major outlets, in descending order, were Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany, Thailand, Australia, and Japan. The top-10 export outlets grabbed 87% of the total exports of the products.