Taiwan-China trade rises

Taiwan-China trade rises

TAIPEI (AFP): Indirect trade between Taiwan and China registered US$17.8 billion in the first 10 months of this year, a 2.6 percent rise over the same period of 1995, the economics ministry said Sunday.

Taiwan's bilateral trade surplus grew 5.7 percent to $12.7 billion, the ministry said.

Exports to the mainland during the January-October period advanced 3.9 percent to $15.3 billion while imports dropped 4.5 percent to $2.5 billion, it said.

Taiwan bans direct business contacts across the strait and all commerce has to be handled by third parties, mainly Hong Kong. The ministry's statistics showed that 9.3 billion dollars of merchandise was transshipped in Hong Kong in the first 10 months, a 1.5 percent fall in value.

Eight billion dollars of goods were imported from the mainland via the British colony, a 1.8 percent drop, and $1.3 billion of items were shipped there, making for growth of 0.5 percent.

The trade surplus for Taiwan-China trade via Hong Kong dipped 2.2. percent to $6.7 billion.