Taiwan Export Orders Fall 3.0%

(RTTNews) - Taiwan's export orders declined for the first time in nearly a year in January, according to data released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Thursday.

Export orders fell 3.0 percent year-over-year in January, reversing a 20.8 percent surge in December. The expected drop was 1.8 percent. Further, this was the first contraction since March 2024.

Orders for basic metals and related items decreased the most by 21.7 percent, followed by orders for plastics, rubber, and related products, which slumped by 20.5 percent.

Foreign orders for chemicals also declined notably by 19.0 percent, while those for transport equipment jumped by 128.3 percent.

On a monthly basis, export orders declined sharply by 11.2 percent versus a 1.2 percent rebound in December.

In New Taiwan dollar terms, export orders expanded 2.2 percent annually, while they fell by 10.4 percent monthly in January.