(Adds detail, government comment) * Taiwan July exports +34.7% y/y vs +29.5% Reuters poll * July imports +41% y/y vs +35% in poll * Finance ministry expects August exports +20% to +25% y/y * Outlook ‘cautiously optimistic’ on strong tech demand TAIPEI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan’s exports rose for a 13th straight month in July with the stronger-than-expected pace setting a new record, as the island’s manufacturers rushed production to meet a global shortage of computer chips for cars and technology gadgets. Exports rose 34.7% from a year earlier to $37.95 billion last month, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday, the highest monthly figure on record. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast a rise of 29.5% for July, compared with a 35.1% increase in June. The ministry attributed the growth to the gradual re-opening of economies around the world, and sustained strong demand for tech products to support remote working and studying that has been the mainstay of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. It expected both exports and imports to grow this year at their strongest pace in nearly 11 years. Electronics exports hit a record high in July at $14.67 billion, with semiconductor exports growing 34.3% from a year earlier. Firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) are major suppliers to Apple Inc and other global tech giants, as well as providers of chips for auto companies and lower-end consumer electronics. The ministry said it was “cautiously optimistic” about the exports outlook in the second half, helped by strong demand for the island’s advanced chips as well as the year-end holiday season which is traditionally a busy time for Taiwan’s tech manufacturers. While it said it saw risks ahead from a rise in COVID-19 variants globally, the ministry said Taiwan’s economy would benefit from a global economic recovery as well as tech demand generated by the pandemic as companies and people increasingly move their activities online. July exports to China, Taiwan’s largest trading partner, jumped an annual 23.8% to $15.58 billion, while exports to the United States grew 28% on year to a record high. Imports leapt 41% to the second highest monthly figure on record, against economists’ expectations for a 35% rise and an increase of 42.3% in June. Taiwan could see August exports increase in the range of 20% to 25% from a year earlier, the ministry added. While Taiwan will likely benefit from economies around the world beginning to recover from the pandemic, data on the weekend showed export growth in China unexpectedly slowed following outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. A sudden spike in domestic COVID-19 cases in Taiwan weighed on consumption in the second quarter with gross domestic product growing a slower 7.47%, though its hi-tech exports remained strong. (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Emily Chan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.