Taiwan's exports totalled 24.1 billion U.S. dollars in July, up 1.2 percent from the same month last year, bringing an end to 17 consecutive months of contraction, the island's finance authority said Monday.

The growth was mainly due to shipments of electronic products.

Eports of mineral products, which posted a smaller decline in the month, also contributed to the reading.

The exports to Chinese mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region amounted to 9.6 billion U.S. dollars, up 3.4 percent.

Taiwan authorities forecast that the exports will increase in the last two quarters in the year, but exports for the entire year could still post negative growth compared with last year, due to the sustained decline in the 17 months before the recording month.

Additionally, the island's imports in July dropped 0.2 percent from a year earlier to 20.5 billion U.S. dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 3.6 billion U.S. dollars for the month. Enditem

Source : XINHUA