Mainland, HK remain Taiwan's largest export market

Updated: 2006-02-09 09:14

The Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) remained Taiwan's largest export market in 2005, taking in 37.8 percent of Taiwan's total exports for the year, according to a report reaching here from Taipei on Wednesday.

According to sources from the local overseas trade authorities, Taiwan exported US$71.61 billion worth of goods and services to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in 2005, up 12.2 percent over the year-earlier level.

Taiwan was the Chinese mainland's third largest source of imports for the year, behind only Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan posted a trade surplus of US$2.33 billion for January, marking a whopping increase of 359.7 percent over the year-earlier level and the seventh consecutive month of trade surplus increases.

According to the report, Taiwan's export expansion in January mainly attributed to the expanded sales in digital cameras, electrical engineering products and electronics.

Local economic experts forecast that Taiwan's two-way trade will continue to expand in 2006 due to a brisk global economy, with demand for information technology, telecommunications and consumer electronic products continuing to soar at home and abroad.