Taiwan's March exports seen falling for second month, CPI to ease further: poll

[TAIPEI] Taiwan's exports in March likely fell for a second straight month by 3.1 per cent from a year earlier, a Reuters poll showed.

Fourteen analysts polled by Reuters had wide ranging forecasts from positive annual growth of 2.37 per cent to a contraction of 6.2 per cent for the month. March will be closely watched as the first two months of the year are usually distorted by factory closures during the Lunar New Year.

Taiwan is one of Asia's major exporters, especially of technology goods. Its export trend is a key gauge of global demand for technology gadgets worldwide.

The consumer price index, as an inflation barometer, is expected to decline 0.74 per cent in March from the same period a year ago, the poll showed. Taiwan's central bank last month said that it does not see deflation as a trend for the island economy this year.

REUTERS