TAIPEI, March 20 (Reuters) - Taiwan's export orders rose less than expected in February, with demand for its AI and technology products losing momentum in the month that ended with the war in Iran raising the risk of trade disruptions.
Here are some details on the data:
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Export orders in February rose 23.8% from a year earlier to $63.88 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Friday. That was below analysts' expectations for a gain of 25.5%, though it was also the 13th straight monthly gain.
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Orders for goods from Taiwan, home of the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC and other tech companies, are considered a bellwether of global technology demand.
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For March, the ministry said it expected export orders to rise between 38.4% and 42% year-on-year.
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Uncertainties such as global trade barriers and geopolitical risks continue to weigh on global trade momentum, it said.
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But the momentum for orders would be supported as new applications such as AI and high-performance computing continue to expand, it added.
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Taiwan's orders in February for telecoms products were up 55.2% from a year earlier, while those for electronic products jumped 26.2%.
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Overall orders from China dipped 0.2% compared to a 58.9% surge in January.
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Orders from the United States rose 45.1%, after a surge of 64.3% the month before. Orders from Europe were down 5.6%, and those from Japan rose 17.8%.
Reporting by Faith Hung and Liang-sa Loh; Editing by Kate Mayberry
Source: Reuters