C.S. Huang, director of the Statistics Department of MOEA, indicated that the global economic recovery is driving up the surging export orders during the month, particularly that from the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

In February the exports of ITC products reached US$6.99 billion, surging by 43.77% from that of last year and the highest among other exports. Orders for electronic products followed at US$6.68 billion for a sizable annual growth of 40.9%.

Huang disclosed that the orders for ITC products came mainly from Europe and the United States, altogether accounting for 30% of the island's total ITC exports, with the orders for electronics coming mostly from China to take a lion's share of 61.2%, mainly for LCD panels and precision instruments.

In the same month the orders from Japan totaled US$3.517 billion, for a whopping annual rise of 101.55% or the highest of its kind ever recorded. The orders from China, including Hong Kong, came to US$7.175 billion, down by 16.46% from a month earlier but growing 49.35% from a year earlier. The orders from the six members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) totaled US$2.581 billion for a sharp annual rise of 52.18%.

In the first two months Taiwan's export orders totaled US$57.779 billion, soaring more than 50% from that in the same period of last year. Huang predicted the figure to grow to exceed US$30 billion for this month.