Taiwan Machine-tool Industry’s Exports Up 24.5% in First Two Months

Taiwan exported US$652.54 million of machine tools in the first two months of 2012, up 24.5% from a year earlier, according to customs-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF).

Exports of metal-cutting machine tools totaled US$545.52 million, up 29.6% year-on-year, and that of metal-forming machine tools came to US$107.01 million, up 3.9%.

China and Hong Kong together led as export destination by absorbing US$206.27 million of Taiwan-made machine tools in the first two months, down 2.1% from a year earlier and accounting for 31.6% of the total exports, followed by the U.S. with US$70.76 million, up 83.5% and commanding 10.8%, then Thailand with US$45.89 million, up a whopping 115.3% and commanding 7%.

Other major export outlets, in descending order, were Turkey, Germany, India, Malaysia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Indonesia, South Korea, United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, and Vietnam.

The TMTF’s tallies also show Taiwan imported US$89.69 million of machine tools in the first two months of 2012, down 33.6% year-on-year.

Imports of metal-cutting machine tools amounted to US$77.24 million, down 35.5% from a year earlier and that for metal-forming machine tools came to US$12.44 million, down 19.1%.

Japan was the largest import supplier by selling US$54.16 million of machine tools to Taiwan in the first two months, down 38.7% year-on-year and accounting for 60.4% of the total imports, followed by Germany with US$9.82 million, up 48% and commanding 10.9%, then China and Hong Kong with US$9.25 million, up 50.7% and commanding 10.3%.

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