Taipei, Sept. 6, 2011 (CENS)--Taiwan exported US$1.91 billion of machine tools in the first half of 2011, up 50.4% year-on-year, according to customs-cleared statistics compiled by the Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF).

Export of metal-cutting machine tools came to US$1.543 billion, up 58.7% and that for metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$366.54 million, up 23.2%.

Export of machining centers was up 70.1%; lathes, up 62.7%; grinding machines, up 66.9%; drilling, boring and milling machines, up 29.9%; presses and shearing machines, up 22.8%; and other metal-forming machine tools, up 24.5%.

China and Hong Kong together led as export destinations by absorbing US$830.46 million of Taiwan-made machine tools in the first half, up 37.5% and accounting for 43.5%. The U.S. was second with US$131.8 million, up 130.1% and commanding 6.9%. Turkey was third with US$93.13 million, up 116.8% and accounting for 4.9%.

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

The TMTF’s tallies also show Taiwan imported US$425.24 million of machine tools in the first half, up 57.5% from a year earlier, of which import value of metal-cutting machine tools came to US$367.92 million, up 67.6% and that for metal-forming machine tools amounted to US$57.32 million, up 13.6%.

Japan was the largest supplier by selling US$272.59 million of machine tools to Taiwan in the first half, up 71.3% year-on-year to account for 64.1% of the total imports. Switzerland was second with US$42.22 million, up 161.9% and commanding 9.9%. Germany was third with US$26.8 million, up 13.9% to account for 6.3%.