TAIPEI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's exports in May rose 8.4 percent year on year, marking the eighth consecutive monthly increase, according to the island's finance authority Wednesday.
May's exports reached 25.5 billion U.S. dollars, driven by solid demand for machinery, integrated circuits, base metals and related products, among others, the authority said.
Imports in May rose 10.2 percent from a year earlier to 22.07 billion U.S. dollars, the ninth consecutive month of expansion.
Among all major commodities, exports of base metal and related products rose 22.9 percent, machinery rose 19 percent while plastic and rubber products rose 16.2 percent on a yearly basis in May.
Imports of agricultural and industrial materials rose 15.3 percent in May. Consumer goods rose 6.3 percent, while imports of capital equipment dropped 3.9 percent.
The Chinese mainland and Hong Kong remained Taiwan's top trade partner, with exports to both markets reaching 9.94 billion U.S. dollars, or 38.9 percent of the total.
Taiwan's imports from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong were 4.46 billion U.S. dollars, or 20.2 percent of the total in May.
For the first five months, Taiwan's exports and imports registered a yearly increase of 12.5 percent and 19.4 percent, the highest in almost six years.
