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Taiwan industrial production weakens in February

Source: XinhuaUpdated: 2020-04-07

TAIPEI, March 23 -- Taiwan's industrial production index for February dropped 1.85 percent from January amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the island's economic affairs department said Monday.

The index stood at 103 points with the base value of the index set at 100 based on industrial production in 2016, the department said in a press release.

However, the index increased by 20.34 percent year on year since there were more working days in February 2020 than the same month of 2019. This year's Spring Festival holiday fell in January, earlier than the previous year.

The sub-reading for manufacturing, the largest component of the index, dropped 1.89 percent from January, while that for water supply fell 8.16 percent from the previous month.

The sub-index for electricity and gas supply in February decreased 0.7 percent month on month, but that for mining and quarrying increased 0.01 percent.