TAIPEI -- Taiwan's export orders rose to 27.17 billion U.S. dollars in September, hitting a 14-month high.

According to figures released Monday by the island's statistical authorities, export orders ended a six-month slide and registered a 10.4-percent increase from the same month last year.

Compared with August, export orders also rose by 10 percent.

Taiwan's exports to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong rose by 6 percent in September over the same month last year to reach 10.84 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 6 percent of the island's total exports.

Taiwan's imports stood at 23.09 billion U.S. dollars in September, marking a 1.3 percent year-on-year increase.

Compared with August, the island's imports rose by 8 percent.

Taiwan's trade surplus rose by 125.4 percent to 4.08 billion U.S. dollars in September.

The island's exports stood at 223.56 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months of the year, marking a 3.9-percent slump over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, imports fell by 5 percent to 203.99 billion U.S. dollars.