UPDATE 1-Taiwan May export orders miss forecasts, global economic concerns weigh

Adds details throughout

- Taiwan's export orders rose slightly less than expected in May, as AI demand shows signs of leveling off amid worldwide economic concerns caused by inflation, the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and an uncertain peace process.


Here are some details from the economy ministry's statement:

  • Export orders in May rose 47.2% from a year earlier to $89.48 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Tuesday. That missed analysts' expectations for a gain of 48.7% and marked its 16th straight monthly gain.

  • Orders for goods from Taiwan, home of the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC 2330.TW and other tech companies, are considered a bellwether of global technology demand.

  • For June, the ministry said it expected export orders to rise 49.8% to 53.1% from a year earlier.

  • Uncertainties like geopolitical risks and global trade policies would weigh on global economic growth. But the momentum for orders would be supported as new applications like artificial intelligence and high-performance computing continue to expand.

  • Taiwan's orders in May for telecoms products were up 67.2% from a year earlier, while those for electronic products jumped 61.2%.

  • Overall orders from China rose 37.5%, compared with a 29.0% jump in April.

  • Orders from the U.S. climbed 63.9% after a surge of 62.6% in the previous month. Orders from Europe were up 48.7% and those from Japan rose 29.1%.

The ministry's website is http://www.moea.gov.tw/