Taipei, April 20 (CNA) Export orders received by Taiwan-based companies grew for the 13th consecutive month in March, hitting a historic high for the month due to increased shipments of tech devices driven by the booming work-from-home economy, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) reported Tuesday.

Export orders in March totaled US$53.66 billion, up 33.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the ministry.

In the first quarter of this year, the country's export orders totaled US$148.97 billion, up 42.9 percent from a year earlier, the largest growth since the second quarter of 2010, according to the figures.

For the whole of 2020, export orders totaled US$533.6 billion, up 10.1 percent from a year ago and a historic high, thanks to strong demand for Taiwan-made electronics and a booming stay-at-home economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.