Taiwan's exports to mainland hit new high in 2020
Xinhua
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TAIPEI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong totaled 151.45 billion US dollars in 2020, the highest ever, according to the island's finance authority.

This aerial photograph taken on December 8, 2020 shows shipping containers at the harbour in Keelung. (File photo: AFP)

The figure meant a 14.6-percent increase over that of 2019 and accounted for 43.9 percent of Taiwan's total exports in 2020, it said in a press release on Friday.

In December alone, the island's exports to the mainland and Hong Kong stood at 14.72 billion US dollars, setting a monthly record, and up by 20.5 percent year on year, it said.

The number accounted for 44.6 percent of Taiwan's total exports in December.

The island's imports from the mainland and Hong Kong in 2020 increased by 10.8 percent year on year to 64.78 billion US dollars.

In December, the island's imports from the mainland and Hong Kong increased by 16.7 percent year on year to 6.36 billion US dollars.

Taiwan's total exports in 2020 reached 345.28 billion US dollars, up by 4.9 percent over that of 2019. Its total imports climbed by 0.3 percent year on year to 286.49 billion US dollars.

The island saw a trade surplus of 58.79 billion US dollars, while its trade surplus with the mainland and Hong Kong totaled 86.67 billion.

The authority attributed the increase of exports in December to the booming new technology industry, the New Year shopping season, and the gradual recovery of traditional export goods.

Although a global economic recovery may be held back by the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, the island's exports in the first quarter of 2021 would probably maintain stable growth. It would be due to the Spring Festival shopping season in the mainland market and the continued demand for new communication and computer technologies, it said.