Taiwan's export orders in October rose 12.16 percent from a year earlier to US$35.65 billion on the back of strong demand for consumer electronic products such as cell phones and computers, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Friday. The October figure was the second highest after September's US$35.98 billion, the MOEA said. Export orders indicate deliveries three months in advance and are considered a key economic indicator. Last month, export orders in information and communications products totaled US$9.22 billion, up 10.70 percent from a year earlier, while export orders for electronic products such as semiconductor and electronics components rose 14.58 percent to US$8.82 billion, the ministry said. Information and communications products along with electronic goods accounted for 50.6 percent of Taiwan's total export orders in October. Export orders for precision equipment during the same period fell 2.45 percent from a year earlier to US$2.86 billion, while export orders for base metal related products rose 16.73 percent to US$2.41 billion, the MOEA said. In October, export orders placed by China and Hong Kong totaled US$8.55 billion, up 6.03 percent from a year earlier, while export orders from the United States grew 9.69 percent to US$7.79 billion, the ministry said. China, Hong Kong and the U.S. made up 45.8 percent of the island's total export orders. Export orders placed by Europe rose 18.45 percent from a year earlier to US$7.06 billion, while Japan accounted for US$4.32 billion, up 13.87 percent year-on- year, the MOEA said. In the first 10 months of this year, Taiwan's export orders rose 28.89 percent from a year earlier to US$334.41 billion, according to the ministry. 