Taiwan's export orders at the start of the year fell short of expectations as the off-peak season softened overall demand, but no dents were seen in the island's solid tech export engine. Orders - a leading indicator for the island's exports and a global gauge for technology goods demand - showed sustained momentum from last year, during which they rose to a record annual amount driven by demand for smartphones, laptops and other technology gadgets. "Local tech producers continue to benefit from steady demand for latest wearable technology and devices," said Standard Chartered in a research note after the data on Tuesday. Taiwan's export orders in January rose 8.1 percent from a year earlier to $39 billion, but were down from December's $44.2 billion, data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs showed. The growth, while underperforming a Reuters poll for a 9.65 percent year-on-year gain, came on strong demand from key markets in the United States and Europe, and was partially helped by a low base from last January. Taiwan's export order data last month was also affected by the Lunar New Year, which fell in February this year, but occurred at the end of January in 2014. The multi-day holiday tends to distort orders for the first two months of the year. U.S. orders climbed 24.7 percent from a year earlier, while those from Europe rose nearly 17 percent. Orders from China were up 3.9 percent but those from Japan tumbled 22.6 percent. The latest data came after Taiwan's manufacturing activity, as measured by the HSBC Taiwan PMI, improved for the second straight month in February. Taiwan's ministry indicated that February orders should also grow from a year earlier, but will decline on a month-on-month basis. (Reuters)