August exports 7.3 yy vs 8.05 forecast in Reuters poll
August exports marks smallest drop since October
Exports to China 14.1 yy previous month 16.3 yy
Govt forecasts Sept exports 2 to 2 yy

TAIPEI, Sept 8 Reuters Taiwan39;s exports dropped for the 12th consecutive month in August but less sharply than expected, and may return to growth in September ahead of the yearend holiday shopping season, the finance ministry said on Friday.

August exports dropped 7.3 in value from a year earlier to 37.36 billion, the ministry said, the smallest decline and first singledigit percentage fall since October. That compared with a 10.4 fall in July and exceeded a Reuters poll forecasting an 8.05 contraction.

Despite the stagnation in exports, a key driver for Taiwan39;s economy, the island39;s GDP returned to growth in the second quarter, helped by resilient domestic consumption.

The ministry forecast improved export performance in coming months, when orders traditionally pick up ahead of the busy yearend shopping season, which is expected to be driven this year by rising demand for highperformance computing, artificial intelligence, data centres and automotive electronics.

For September, the ministry said exports may expand, predicting a performance ranging from a contraction of 2 to growth of 2.

In August, total shipments of electronic components fell 11.2 from the year before to 15.14 billion, with semiconductor exports down 10.4.

Taiwanese firms such as TSMC, the world39;s…