November 15, 2001

According to figures tallied by the Taiwan Regional Hand Tools Association, Taiwan's export of hand tools in the first six months of 2001 increased two percent compared to year ago, a clear indication that the island can still show economic growth in certain sectors, despite the prevalent global economic slowdown. The export value for the shipments amounted to NT$31.47 billion (US$913 million), with the largest amount of exports going to the U.S.

Overseas orders for various categories of hand tools rose slightly, with vises growing by 23 percent and electric tools by 12 percent compared with the same period a year ago. However, other product sectors showed a downward trend, particularly tool sets, hydraulic and gardening tools, which declined 21, 16 and 11 percent respectively.

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