The Taiwan authorities declared that Taiwan enjoyed 22.77 billion USD of surplus, or a 6.5 percent increase, in its trade with the Chinese mainland, which reached 51.81 billion USD from Jan. to Sept. this year, up 15.1 percent over the same period of last year. That accounted for 19 percent of Taiwan's total foreign trade, one percentage point higher than the same period of last year.

The statistics released by the Taiwan authorities show that Taiwan exported a volume worth 37.3 billion USD to the mainland from Jan. to Sept., reflecting a rise of 12.3 percent over the first nine months of last year and 27.2 percent of its total export, 1.3 percentage points higher than the same period of last year.

Taiwan imported a volume worth 14.51 billion USD from the mainland. That was an increase by 22.8 percent and 10.7 percent of its total imports, 1 percentage point more than the same period of last year.

From Jan. to Sept., 44 percent of Taiwan exports to the mainland were electric machinery and optical products. It is believed that Taiwan's soaring exports to the mainland have been mainly driven by the improvement in the global climate for electronics industry and the peak season of the industry. However, exports of iron and steel, plastic and rubber, as well as organic chemicals slowed down due to the mainland's increasing self-dependence and slump of raw material prices on the international market.

By People's Daily Online