Export orders last month rose 1.9 percent annually to US$48.42 billion following two consecutive months of declines, thanks to strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips and related services, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
“Orders for AI-related products from chips, chip packaging to other items showed strong momentum in January,” Department of Statistics Director Huang Yu-ling (黃于玲) said. “Besides, local companies received numerous rush orders as their customers built up inventory ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.”
Last month’s orders surpassed the ministry’s estimate of an annual contraction of up to 20 percent to US$38 billion, but it said orders this month could drop between 11 percent and 15.7 percent to between US$35.5 billion and US$37.5 billion, given seasonal factors and fewer working days, as well as a higher comparison base in February last year.
Photo: CNA
With signs of gradual stabilization in export orders over the past few months, orders might swing back to positive growth again next month depending on the growth momentum of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) devices, including AI servers, Huang said.
The ministry expects export orders to improve every quarter this year as the IMF forecast global trade volume could rise 3.3 percent, accelerating from a 0.3 percent increase last year, she said.
Last month, orders for electronic products expanded 16.1 percent to US$17.45 billion, on strong demand for HPC and AI-related chip designing services, foundry services and printed circuit boards, while orders for optoelectronic products increased 24 percent to US$1.58 billion due to higher TV panel prices and increased camera lens orders, the ministry said.
However, orders for information, communications and technology products fell 19.3 percent to US$13.91 billion, as lower demand for laptops, smartphones and networking devices offset gains in orders for servers, it said.
Improved demand ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday also boosted machinery orders by 9.5 percent to US$1.6 billion last month, helped plastics orders surge 25.5 percent to US$1.66 billion and sent base metals (including steel) soaring 26.2 percent to US$2.27 billion, while petrochemical products rose 6.8 percent to US$1.51 billion, it said.
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