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The Ministry of Finance released March’s exports report today, with export values standing at US$22.7 billion, a 11.4 percent decline from the same period last year. Taiwan’s streak of negative export growth has lasted 14 months, the last time it happened was during the 2008 global financial crisis. The Finance Ministry predicts exports could pick up in the third quarter of this year, but small and mid-sized exporters are not as positive and hope the government can take proactive measures.The production line is still operating. But this machinery exporter has seen declining business over the past few months. Teng Kuei-yuU-Gear Automatic Machinery ChairmanI’d say this is a slowly developing crisis. Before you know it, six months or a year has passed. Now exports have decreased 14 months in a row. According to the Ministry of Finance, exports in March showed no signs of improvement and were 11.4 percent less than the same period last yearYeh Maan-tzwuFinance Ministry’s Statistics DepartmentIt’s impossible to rebound in the next month. But it’s possible to see a single-digit decline instead of double-digit decline if the exports of electronics parts, especially integrated circuits can continue to improve and the prices of agricultural and industrial raw materials stop falling. The last time Taiwan experienced 14 consecutive months of decline was during the 2008 financial crisis. If exports continue to underperform in April, it means the Cabinet, which takes office on May 20th, would need to focus on stimulating domestic demand to keep the economic growth at 1 percent.