Exports of IT products in April jumped by 5.6 percent from the same month last year to US$13.3 billion on the back of rising shipments of smartphones.

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Sunday that IT exports continued an upward trend for a 19th consecutive month since October 2009, with the figure exceeding US$13 billion a second month in a row.

Mobile phones saw their exports rise 32 percent to $2.32 billion, of which $1.11 billion were smartphones, an increase of 459 percent from a year ago. A total of $125 million of tablet PCs were exported, up 3.3 percent from last month. Outbound shipments of lithium rechargeable batteries, which are used in mobile appliances such as mobile phones and tablet PCs, shot up by 13.7 percent to $200 million.

In contrast, exports of display panels tumbled by 7.2 percent to $2.63 billion, trending downward for a third month in a row amid slowing demand in advanced economies and dropping prices. A decline in shipments of DRAM memory chips led to a decrease in overall semiconductor exports, which slipped 0.4 percent to $4.16 billion.

By destination, shipments to China including Hong Kong increased 3.5 percent on-year to $5.9 billion. Those to the U.S., Japan and the Middle East also rose to $1.86 billion, $630 million and $430 million. But exports to the European Union fell 9.4 percent to $1.4 billion.

Meanwhile, imports of IT goods reached $6.67 billion in April, up 11.1 percent from a year ago, led by a rise in electronic parts to $3.77 billion and mobile phones to $410 million. The overall IT industry balance recorded a surplus of $6.62 billion for the month.