The ministry of economic affairs said Saturday that Taiwan’s industrial production is likely to show a year-on-year drop in July for the third consecutive month amid a global economic slowdown, Focus Taiwan reported. While the July industrial production figure is expected to improve from June, it is likely to be lower than in July 2014 because of a relatively high comparison base, the ministry said, ahead of its release of the industrial production data on Aug. 24. In June, Taiwan’s industrial production index fell 1.35% from a year earlier to 106.42 in reflection of weakening demand for high-tech gadgets such as smartphones and PCs amid a global economic slowdown. The June figure was 0.02% higher than May. The sub-index for the local manufacturing sector, which accounts for more than 90% of the country’s total industrial production, fell 1.18% from the previous year and 0.41% from a month earlier. Among the various segments in the manufacturing sector, the flat panel industry saw a 6.44% year-on-year drop in production in June.
