Taiwan’s November export orders miss expectations, China drags

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan export orders grew extra slowly than anticipated in November as weaker cargo for smartphones offset robust demand for synthetic intelligence know-how amid softness from China.

Export orders rose 3.3% final month to $52.27 billion from a 12 months earlier, the economic system ministry stated on Friday. That lagged the 6.3% achieve forecast in a Reuters ballot and October’s enlargement of 4.9%, however marked the ninth straight month of progress.

Orders for items from Taiwan, house to tech giants resembling chip producer TSMC, are a bellwether of worldwide know-how demand.

The ministry expects export order momentum to proceed subsequent month, due to excessive demand for superior semiconductors and AI and partly pushed by distributors dashing to stockpile forward of the Lunar New Yr vacation, which falls in late January 2025.

Nevertheless, the momentum may very well be offset by elements resembling geopolitical tensions and U.S.-China know-how disputes, it added.

The ministry stated it expects export orders in December to rise between 13% and 17.5% year-on-year.

Taiwan’s orders in November for telecommunications merchandise had been down 2.3% 12 months on 12 months, whereas digital product orders rose 7.2% in the identical interval.

General orders from China worsened, down 3.4% versus a 0.1% fall the prior month. Orders from america jumped 11.7% versus a 12.6% achieve in October.

Orders from Europe fell 7.9% in November after gaining 2.7% in October. Orders from Japan had been up 17.8% versus an increase of 5.3% the prior month.