Taiwan’s manufacturing output increased 5.77 percent year on year to NT$3.73 trillion (US$121 billion) in the third quarter of 2014, the second highest 3Q result on record.
Among the six leading sectors of the manufacturing industry, electronic parts and components gained 9.1 percent to a new high of NT$992.9 billion.
“This encouraging result can be attributed to booming demand for mobile devices and enhanced production capacities by local foundries,” an official from the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Nov. 19.
The semiconductor sector soared 20.35 percent to NT$292.5 billion, while automobile and parts also chalked up handsome gains, rising 13.12 percent to NT$102.5 billion. In addition, machinery equipment jumped 11.32 percent to NT$170.6 billion.
As a result of increasing demand for automobiles and machinery at home and abroad, output of basic metals increased 9.66 percent to NT$392.4 billion. Computers and electronics were up 3.21 percent to NT$196.4 billion.
Chemical materials were the only major sector registering a decline, falling 2.46 percent to NT$526.4 billion. This was attributed by the official to plant shutdowns for annual maintenance and a higher comparison basis for oil prices from the year before.
For the first three quarters, Taiwan’s manufacturing output increased 3.7 percent to NT$10.78 trillion. Automobiles and parts were the growth leader at 15.73 percent, followed by machinery equipment at 7.7 percent and electronic components and parts at 6.2 percent.
“If nothing unforeseen happens, we expect manufacturing output to top NT$3.7 trillion in the coming quarter, bringing the figure to over NT$14 trillion for the year,” the official said. (SFC-JSM)
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