Taipei, July 20 (CNA) The value of export orders placed by foreign companies with Taiwanese businesses in June reached an all-time high of US$53.73 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) reported on Tuesday.

The figure represented positive growth for 16 consecutive months and a year-on-year increase of 31.1 percent, the MOEA said in a statement.

In the second quarter, Taiwan companies received US$160.96 billion worth of orders, a record high for Q2 and a 35.9 percent increase from a year earlier, according to data released by the MOEA's Department of Statistics.

In the first half of the year, export orders received by Taiwan businesses totaled a record US$309.92 billion, up 39.2 percent year- on-year, which was also a new high since the annual growth rate was first recorded in 1984, according to the data.