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e first two months of this year, up 16.3% year-on-year. The special-purpose machinery came second with US$152.2 million, up 11.3%. Plastics and rubber processing machinery ranked third with US$147.29 million, up 4.8%, followed by valves and parts with US$129.73 million, down 10%; the category of pumps, compressors and fans with US$127.22 million, up 2.2%; the category of bearings, gears and ball screws with US$98.14 million, up 17.2%; and woodworking machinery with US$94.16 million, up 10%. Other major export items, in descending order, were textile machinery (US$79.84 million, down 17.7%), molds and dies (US$78.2 million, down 0.3%), sewing machinery (US$58.18 million, down 25.6%), paper making and printing machinery (US$41.67 million, up 20.1%), and leather and shoe making machinery (US$12.79 million, up 40.8%). In respect of export outlets, mainland China and Hong Kong ranked first by absorbing US$690.03 million worth of Taiwan-made machinery in the first two months of this year, down 5.9% year-on-year and accounting for 27.2% of the total exports. The U.S. came second with US$388.13 million, down 8.7% and commanding 15.3%. Japan ranked third with US$150.81 million, up 0.4% and accounting for 5.9%. Germany took fourth place with US$100.82 million, up 30.8%. The fifth place went to Vietnam with US$92.92 million, up an amazing 60%. Thailand stood at the sixth place with US$73.54 million, down 6.3%. Other major export outlets, in descending order, were India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, France, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Finland, Russia, the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. The TAMI`s tallies also showed that Taiwan imported US$3.017 billion worth of machinery in the first two months of this year, up 24.8% year-on-year. In terms of major import items, special-purpose machinery ranked first with import value amounting to US$1.03 billion in the first two months of this year, up 64% year-on-year and accounting for 34.2% of the total import value. Machine tools ranked second with US$317.88 million, down 5.9% and accounting for 10.5%. The third place went to the category of pumps, compressors and fans with US$162.06 million, up 18.8% and commanding 5.4%; followed by engines and parts with US$140 million, up 37.3% and accounting for 4.6%; valves and parts with US$86.94 million, down 5% and accounting for 2.9%; textile machinery with US$47.36 million, up 1.7% and accounting for 1.6%; and plastics and rubber processing machinery with US$39.5 million, down 12.8% and commanding 1.3%. C.C. Wang, vice president of the TAMI, said these imported machines were mainly employed by such high-high industries as optoelectronics, communications, information technology and semiconductor. Wang noted Japan was the island`s largest import source of machinery by selling US$1.337 billion worth of machinery to Taiwan in the first two months of this year, up 38.7% year-on-year and accounting for 44.3% of the total imports. The U.S. came second with US$696.93 million, up 10.8% and commanding 23.1%. China and Hong Kong together ranked third with US$237.62 million, up 13.9% and commanding 7.9%. The fourth place went to Germany with US$234.37 million, up 35.6%. Other major import sources, in descending order, were South Korea, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and France. Wang predicted Taiwan`s machinery industry would grow at the annual pace of between 8% and 10% in 2008. Overall production of domestically made machinery would be able to reach NT$96 million, up 8% from the year earlier. Domestic demand for machinery will grow between 25% and 30% this year.