(Recasts, adds details) * Taiwan Oct exports +24.6% y/y vs +24.4% Reuters poll * Oct imports +37.2% y/y vs +30.7% in poll * Finance ministry expects Nov exports +22% to +26% y/y * Says strong growth to continue in Q1 2022 TAIPEI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Taiwan’s exports rose for a 16th straight month in October to a new high as the island’s technology manufacturers faced sustained demand for consumer electronics in the coming year-end shopping season and amid a global shortage of computer chips. Exports in October were the highest monthly figure on record, rising 24.6% from a year earlier to $40.14 billion, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast a rise of 24.4% for October, compared with a 29.2% increase in September. The ministry attributed the growth to strong demand for tech products in the year-end shopping season in which vendors traditionally launch new models such as smartphones. The growth was also supported by robust demand and rising prices for chips, a shortage of which has crippled car plants globally and is affecting consumer electronics, and the gradual post-pandemic economic bounce back around the world. Exports of telecommunication and electronics products hit a record high in October at $5.88 billion, with semiconductor exports growing 11.8% 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 warned of risks ahead, including uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of power cuts in China on supply chains. But it said the strong growth should continue for the next six months, with new consumer electronics hitting the market and the year-end holiday season, traditionally a busy time for Taiwan’s tech firms, helping exports. Ministry official Beatrice Tsai expected exports to grow 21.4% year-on-year in the fourth quarter and 11.8% in the first quarter of 2022, respectively. October exports to China, Taiwan’s largest trading partner, grew an annual 14.3% to $16.22 billion, while exports to the United States jumped 29.4%. Imports leapt 37.2%, above economists’ expectations for a 30.7% rise and an increase of 40.4% in September. Taiwan could see November exports increase in the range of 22% to 26% compared with a year earlier, the ministry added. (Reporting by Yimou Lee, Emily Chan and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)