It’s still hard to assess the prospective impact on Taiwan of the U.S.-China tariff battle. As the U.S.-China tariff war unfolds, observers in Taiwan have been searching for clues as to what the impact on the Taiwan economy will be. Heavily trade-dependent Taiwan, after all, is in a precarious position in the middle. It regards…
Positive Indications on the Trade Front Given Taiwan’s heavy reliance on international trade for its economic momentum, the past several weeks brought some encouraging news. Announcement of Taiwan’s trade figures for July showed that exports had continued to increase for the fifth consecutive month. At US$29.36 billion, export value in July was 4.7% higher than…
The 2018 AmCham Doorknock delegation stressed the recent progress on resolving White Paper issues. AmCham Taipei’s 2018 Doorknock delegation had a positive message to share as it made its rounds in Washington D.C. the week of June 18. The group, led by Chamber President William Foreman, opened most of its 45 meetings in the U.S….
Higher GDP Growth Seen on Rising Exports The Taiwan economy is expected to experience higher growth this year due to improved levels of demand on world markets. The Yuanta-Polaris Research Institute, a Taipei economic think tank, raised its 2018 GDP growth forecast from 2.4% to 2.55% based on increased export activity. The government’s Directorate General…
Momentum Continues On Export Growth The Taiwan economy continued its upward momentum through the first quarter of 2018 as exports maintained their double digit gains, unemployment stayed low, and consumer and business confidence remained high. On the back of International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts of rising global trade and growth, analysts expect Taiwan’s trade impetus to…
Exports Experience a Slight Weakening Taiwan’s export streak finally came to an end in February after 16 straight months of gains when exports declined by a slight of 1.2% for the month, mostly attributed to Chinese New Year holiday which this year fell on February 15-20. The months of January and February are generally considered…
Positive News to Start The Year of the Dog Taiwan welcomed the new year with continuing good news on the economic front, with major metrics pointing to continued growth and prosperity. The TAIEX weighted index of stock prices closed February 27 down slightly but still maintaining its high average at 10,815 points. Unemployment continued its…
POSITIVE END TO 2017 Taiwan and the world finished 2017 on a good note – with the expectation of more good news in 2018. The Taiwan economy ended the year by recording its strongest growth level in years, on the back of record-high exports. Momentum is likely to continue into 2019, with leading indicators all…
The American withdrawal from the nascent Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade block almost immediately after President Trump assumed office early this year left Taiwan without a concrete, compelling objective to work toward in its economic relationship with the United States. Until then, Taiwan had a clear focus – its hope that it would be able to…
Where business has slowed, the main reason appears to be economic factors. Ever since Beijing angrily terminated official communications with Taiwan’s then newly installed Tsai Ing-wen government in June last year, political relations with China have plunged to their coolest point in nearly a decade. But the cross-Strait political chill over Taiwan’s unwillingness to accept a…
