Taiwan's exports fell by more than expected last month, highlighting the fragility of its recent recovery on the back of increasing Chinese demand.

Exports in April fell 34 per cent from a year ago to $14.9bn (€11.1bn, ￡9.9bn), the eighth consecutive month of decline and steeper than the 28.2 per cent forecast by economists polled by Reuters before the data were released yesterday.

April was also the first time this year when exports decreased on a month-on-month basis. Taiwan recorded $15.5bn in exports in March. Lin Lee-jen, director of the ministry of finance's department of statistics, said Taiwan was on a path to economic recovery but the pace was slow. “We have yet to see clearer signs of recovery in the US, Japan and Europe,” she told reporters yesterday.