TAIPEI -- Taiwanese companies received export orders worth a total of $175.05 billion from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in 2021, up 27.2 percent from the 2020 figure, the island's economic affairs department has said.

In December 2021 alone, orders from the mainland and Hong Kong grew 4.5 percent year on year to 16.76 billion dollars, according to the statement.

Orders for electronic products showed the greatest increase, growing 5.4 percent year on year in December, followed by orders for optical components.

Taiwanese companies saw their total export orders increase 26.3 percent year on year to 674.13 billion dollars in 2021, the statement said.

Driven by strong consumer demand and high raw material prices, Taiwan's export orders performed well in 2021, the department said.

It predicted that the challenges posed by the COVID-19 resurgence and unstable supply chains will affect the momentum of orders in January this year.