Taiwan fastener output was NT$ 59.6 billion in the first half of 2013, down 3% year-on-year. The export value decreased by 3% year-on-year to NT$ 55.5 billion and the import value fell by 6% year-on-year to NT$ 2.1 billion. The local demand for fasteners went down 4% year-on-year to NT$ 6.3 billion. The average price for Taiwan fastener exports dropped by 5% year-on-year to NT$78 per kg in the first half of 2013.

The top five importers of Taiwan’s fasteners were the U.S. (taking up 38% of Taiwan’s fastener exports), Germany (9%), Japan (6%), the Netherlands (5%) and UK (4%), with the average price of fasteners shipped to Japan ranked the highest, up to NT$ 90.7 per kg. And the prices shipped to the other four countries were between NT$72 per kg to NT$81 per kg.

The top five exporters of fasteners to Taiwan were Japan (accounting for 49% of Taiwan’s fastener imports), the U.S. (13%), Mainland China (9%), Germany (6%) and Philippines (3%).

U.S. and EU have been the main destinations of Taiwan’s fastener exports. The fasteners exported to U.S. jumped by 2% year-on-year to 286,000 tons in the first half of 2013 and the fasteners exported to EU decreased by 7% year-on-year to 217,000 tons.

It is forecast that the total output of Taiwan fasteners will reach NT$122.9 billion, up 1% from 2012; the export value will grow up 1% year-on-year to NT$114.3 billion, the local demand for Taiwan fasteners will decrease by 2% year-on-year to NT$ 12.9 billion and the import will go down 6% year-on-year to NT$ 4.3 billion.