TAIPEI - Taiwan companies received export orders from the mainland and Hong Kong worth $14.22 billion in May, surging 40 percent year on year, the island's economic affairs department said Monday.

Of the orders, those for electronic products showed the greatest increase, up 47.1 percent year on year, followed by orders for optical devices at 41.5 percent, the department said in a statement.

During the first five months this year, Taiwan companies received export orders worth $68.1 billion from the mainland and Hong Kong, soaring 44.1 percent from a year earlier.

May saw export orders received by Taiwan companies amount to $52.29 billion, up 34.5 percent year on year, partly due to increased shipments of tech and electronic devices boosted by a stabilizing global economy.

With continued strong demand for high-performance computing and electronic products, as well as a high level of raw material prices, Taiwan's export prospects will likely remain favorable in the future, according to the statement.