Taiwan shipped more information and communication products in June than in the previous month, although overall exports decreased after May's record high, according to figures released Thursday by the Ministry of Finance. June exports declined US$2.81 billion from May to US$22.73 billion, but the number was up 34.1 percent compared to same period of last year. Exports of electronic goods decreased the most, down US$420 million from May, while those of minerals, optical products, rubber and plastics, and basic metals declined by over US$300 million each. Lin Lee-jen, director of the ministry's department of statistics, said the decline was due to June traditionally being the low season, along with decreased demand and prices for flat panels. On the other hand, some US$1.19 billion-worth of information and communication products were shipped in June, up US$50 million from the previous month, with cell phones increasing the most by 10.8 percent, thanks to robust sales of HTC smartphones in the United States, Lin said. Imports in June, meanwhile, reached US$21.32 billion, an increase of 40.4 percent from a year earlier. With imports of capital equipment exceeding US$3 billion for the past four consecutive months, most of which were semiconductor- related, Lin said, this shows stable growth in the future export strength of the information technology industry. Total exports in the first half of 2010 reached US$131.98 billion, the second- highest first half-year figure ever recorded. A record high of US$56.75 billion- worth of goods were shipped to China and Hong Kong in the six-month period. Overall imports from January to June this year reached US$119.88 billion. Both capital equipment and consumer products imports recorded historic highs, showing that local investment and consumption are improving, according to the statistics department. 