Taipei, June 8, 2011 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$870 million wroth of machine tools in the first quarter of this year, up a whopping 63.3% year-on-year, according to customs-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF).

Of the total, the first-quarter exports of metal-cutting machine tools came to US$703.41 million, up 69.2% year-on-year and that of metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$166.59 million, up 42.4%.

In terms of specific items, exports for machining centers amounted to US$295.651 million in the first quarter, up 83.1% year-on-year. Exports for lathes and grinding machines came to US$174.915 million and US$50.073 million, up 75.2% and 61.8% year-on-year respectively.

In respect of major export outlets, China and Hong Kong together ranked first by absorbing US$369.41 million worth of machine tools from Taiwan in the first quarter, up 58.2% from a year earlier and accounting for 42.5% of the total exports. The second place went to the U.S. with US$61.06 million, up 141.6% and commanding 7%. Turkey came third with US$41.14 million, up 132.8% and accounting for 4.7%.

Other major export destinations, in descending order, were Thailand, Brazil, India, Germany, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Japan, United Kingdom and Russia.

The TMTF`s tallies also show Taiwan imported US$206.91 million worth of machine tools in the first quarter of this year, up 73.3% year-on-year. Of this, imports of metal-cutting machine tools came to US$177.21 million, up 74.3% year-on-year and that of metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$29.7 million, up 67.4%.

Japan was the largest import source by selling US$136.46 million worth of machine tools to Taiwan in the first quarter, up 96.4% year-on-year. Switzerland ranked second with US$18.98 million, up 604.2% and commanding 9.2%. Germany came third with US$12.8 million, down 2.7% and accounting for 6.2%.