Strong exports of mobile phone parts, SSDs, and memory semiconductors

In January 2018, information and communication technology (ICT) exports totaled $17.7 billion, and imports totaled $9.33 billion.

It increased by 28.1% compared to the same month of the previous year, marking a double-digit growth rate for 14 consecutive months since December 2016.

By item, semiconductors ($9.86 billion, 53.8% increase) achieved exports in the $9 billion range for five consecutive months, driven by the continued strong export performance of memory semiconductors ($6.85 billion, 67.7% increase) and system semiconductors ($2.31 billion, 25.3% increase).

With exports continuing to perform well driven by rising demand for servers and smartphones and stable memory unit prices, system semiconductors also recorded exports in the $2 billion range for nine consecutive months, as growth in packaging and IDM continued.

Displays fell by 5.9% as unit prices dropped due to intensified competition in LCD panels. OLEDs, however, increased by 17.2% to $700 million as demand expanded.

The decline in mobile phone sales eased for the first time in 13 months due to expanded camera module exports and base effects. While finished products are trending downward due to intensified competition, the trend has shifted to an increase in parts.

Computers also shifted to a downward trend, but peripherals showed an increase in exports for 10 consecutive months as exports of auxiliary storage devices, centered on SSDs, continued to perform well.