Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan's export growth probably slowed in September as a housing recession eroded demand from the U.S., the island's second-biggest market.

Overseas sales rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the median estimate of 14 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. That would be less than August's 10.5 percent increase. The data is due at 4 p.m. today in Taipei.

The worst housing slump in 16 years is rippling through the U.S. economy as a decline in real estate prices prompts consumers to rein in spending. Growth in shipments to China, Taiwan's biggest market, may also have cooled as manufacturers slowed imports of key parts and components ahead of a week-long holiday this month.

``Exports to the U.S. definitely slowed,'' said Forest Chen, chief economist at Taiwan Securities Investment Advisory in Taipei. ``Manufacturers in China also postponed their parts imports.''

Exports to the U.S. fell 11.5 percent in August from a year earlier, the biggest decline on record, after dropping 2 percent in July.

Overseas sales account for about half of Taiwan's gross domestic product.

Imports likely rose 10.5 percent in September, after falling 0.3 percent in August, the survey showed.

The following table shows economists' estimates of growth in Taiwan's exports and imports in September from a year earlier.

Taiwan Trade Forecasts

-------------------------------------------------
                                 Exports  Imports
Firm                                 YoY      YoY
-------------------------------------------------
Median                              9.1%    10.5%
Average                             8.5%    10.2%
High                               10.1%    16.4%
Low                                 5.8%     5.0%
Number of Estimates                   14       14
-------------------------------------------------
Action Economics                    7.5%     8.0%
ANZ Banking Group                   8.9%    11.5%
Capital Economics                   9.8%    10.7%
CIMB-GK Research                   10.1%    11.9%
DBS Group                           5.8%     6.0%
Forecast Ltd.                       9.5%    15.0%
HSBC                                6.0%     5.0%
ING Groep NV                       10.0%     9.5%
KGI Securities                      9.5%    10.6%
Polaris Securities                  7.4%    10.5%
SinoPac Holdings                    8.7%    16.4%
Standard Chartered Bank             6.7%    10.0%
Thomson IFR                         9.6%     6.7%
UBS Securities                      9.2%    11.0%
-------------------------------------------------

To contact the reporters on this story: James Peng in Taipei at jpeng7@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: October 7, 2007 21:00 EDT