Taiwan export orders up 8.9pc in April

TAIPEI, May 20 (AFP): Taiwan's export orders in April rose 8.9 per cent year-on-year-- the third successive monthly rise -- thanks to robust demand for chips used in smartphones and other mobile devices, the government said Tuesday.

Export orders totalled $38.87 billion, up $3.2 billion year-on-year or a rise of $930 million over the previous month, the economics ministry said in a statement.

Export orders -- those filed to manufacturers one or two months ahead of delivery -- are a key indicator for the island's export-reliant economy.