Taiwan export growth slows in September

Taiwan's September exports plunged from a three-year high in August, as declines in the sectors of plastic, rubber and mineral products have constrained the overall growth, the island's statistics authority said Tuesday.
Taiwan exported 26.43 billion U.S. dollars of goods in September, up 4.7 percent from a year earlier, but a 5.9 percent drop from last month.
Imports increased merely 0.2 percent from the same period last year to22.93 billion U.S. dollars, also marking a 4.4 percent decrease from August.
In the first nine months, Taiwan registered a trade surplus of 26.35 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 1.49 billion U.S. dollars from the same period last year.
Sales of electronic components, a main driver behind the island's exports, expanded 13.7 percent from a year earlier, but were partially offset by a 9.2 percent plunge in sales of plastic and rubber products.
Meanwhile, shipments to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong were up 3.6 percent in September, down from a 8.7 percent gain in August.
Growth was also dragged down by a mere 1.2 percent increase in exports to Europe last month, a significant slowdown from the 13.5 percent rise in August.