Taiwan-Mainland Trade Hits New Record in MayTaiwan's trade with China's mainland hit a new record of US$2.96 billion in May, up 24.3 percent year-on-year, the "economic ministry" said Friday in Taipei.Exports to the mainland in the month totaled US$2.37 billion, up 18.5 percent, while imports rose 54.5 percent to US$590.3 million, the "ministry" said in a statement. The trade surplus for the island surged 10.0 percent to US$1.78 billion. Both the export and import figures set new records in May mainly due to economic recovery in the Asia Pacific region, continued economic growth in Europe and the United States, global raw material price hikes and growing demand on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, it said. Cross-strait commerce in the five months to May rose 27.3 percent from a year earlier to US$12.44 billion, the "ministry" said. Taiwan recorded a trade surplus of US$7.49 billion in the five-month period, up 16.8 percent, it said. Exports to the mainland in the five months totaled US$9.98 billion, up 23.1 percent, while imports rose 48.0 percent to US$2.49 billion. Exports of electronics, machinery and plastic products accounted for more than half the shipments to the mainland. Most imports, on the other hand, were raw industrial materials, machine tools, steel products and consumer goods. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/ |