Taiwan's exports jumped for the second consecutive month in December, surging 46.9 percent amid an improvement in the global economy and strong demand from China.
Taiwan's Finance Ministry said Thursday that December's exports totaled $20.03 billion, the highest in 14 months.
It said Taiwan's exports to the U.S. reached $2.26 billion in December, up 4 percent year-on-year. The island's exports to mainland China nearly doubled, vaulting 96.7 percent year-on-year to $5.43 billion in December.
The Finance Ministry did not specifically link the jump in exports to the mainland to Beijing's economic stimulus. However, the massive spending has helped create significant demand for Taiwanese high-tech components used by Chinese factories.
In November, Taiwan's exports rose 19.4 percent from a year earlier. Exports are a key driver of Taiwan's economic growth.
The ministry said December's imports reached $18.38 billion, rising 56.2 percent year-on-year. That was the highest in 15 months.
The ministry said the island's exports for all of 2009 totaled $203.7 billion, down 20.3 percent.
It said 2009 imports amounted to $174.66 billion, down 27.4 percent. The resulting $29.04 billion trade surplus was a record, coming in at almost twice the 2008 figure.
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