Taipei Times
Date: Mar 08, 2018
By: Crystal Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The nation’s exports dipped 1.2 percent year-on-year to US$22.37 billion last month, as a slow technology season and the Lunar New Year holiday depressed outbound shipments, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday.

The decline is no cause for concern, as the global economy is on a course of expansion, allowing exports to stage a rebound this month and beyond, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) said.

“Fewer working days and a high base last year accounted for the temporary retreat,” Tsai said. “Stripping seasonal disruptions, outbound shipments are to gain 4.1 percent.”

For the first two months of the year, exports grew 7.3 percent to US$49.75 billion, a record for the period on the back of demand for electronics components, as well as basic metal, chemical and mineral products, she said.    [FULL  STORY]