Taiwan’s manufacturing output last quarter totaled NT$4.42 trillion (US$137.24 billion), rising 4.56 percent from a year earlier and reversing five straight quarters of decline, thanks to demand for electronics used in artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing chips and cloud services, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
Though global economic uncertainty lingers this year amid stubborn inflation, tight monetary policy and geopolitical tensions; demand from AI and other emerging technologies is sturdy, benefiting Taiwanese firms that supply high-end chips and servers, the ministry said.
As a result, major tech firms and partners in the supply chain have regained growth momentum and the pace of recovery would grow more evident in the second half of the year, it added.
Photo: CNA
The industrial production of electronics picked up 11.76 percent from the same period last year, with output for 12-inch wafer foundries climbing 14.06 percent to NT$889 billion, the ministry said.
The industrial production for displays and related devices also expanded 9.99 percent to NT$118.1 billion, as selling prices for large flat panels improved, it said.
Output related to PCs and optical products swelled by 27.21 percent to NT$339.3 billion, supported by the AI boom and inventory restocking, the ministry said.
Non-tech sectors also reported business improvement last quarter, although market demand leaves much to be desired, it added.
Output for base metal products squeezed a 1 percent gain, owing partly to a low comparison base a year earlier and mixed sales for electric vehicles, it said.
Industrial production for chemical products and machinery equipment floundered, as global markets have not yet shown a concrete recovery, which explains why their output shrank 5.7 percent and 2.29 percent respectively from a year earlier, the ministry said.
The pace of contraction has eased quarter by quarter, it added.
Overall, the industrial production index printed 87.26 during the January-to-March period, a 6.22 percent uptick after adjustments for inflation, putting an end to six quarters of negative growth, it said.
In related development, exports to Mexico soared 31.8 percent to a record US$1.81 billion in the first four months of this year on the back of strong demand for AI information communication technology products, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.
Mexico-bound exports might exceed US$5 billion this year, as corporations attempt to take advantage of favorable trade terms under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, it added.
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