Christmas demand boosts China exports

Mobile phone exports in September reached 63.6 million units, up 4.5% from August and up by double-digit percentages from the same month in 2008 and 2009. Meanwhile, desktop PC exports also began to grow in September after original equipment manufacturers (OEM) boosted their demand to ensure adequate stock on hand for Black Friday and the holidays. Total PC unit exports reached 2.4 million units, up 8% from the previous month and an increase of more than 400'000 units compared to September 2009. The growth in demand for PCs also was boosted by China’s Golden Week in October, although end-market sales were not as strong as the OEMs had hoped. PC export shipments are believed to have continued to increase in October and November—but not nearly as much as in September—as OEMs continued to stock up for the holiday season. For liquid-crystal display televisions (LCD TV), exports from China in September inched up just 1% to 5.1 million units from the previous month, as a result of the OEM pricing strategy already set prior to September because of price pressure from the world’s leading competitors. Given the prior ramp-up for Black Friday and the holiday season, iSuppli expects October to be a relatively weak month for LCD TV exports.