Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan’s dollar finished lower, surrendering gains in the last minutes of trading on speculation the central bank intervened to check appreciation that may hurt exporters. The currency rose as much as 1.7 percent on anticipation of higher economic growth in Taiwan. The government said Dec. 7 exports increased a better-than-forecast 21.8 percent in November from a year earlier. Consumer prices rose 1.53 percent, the fastest pace in nine months, official data a day earlier showed. Global funds bought $1 billion more Taiwanese shares than they sold this month, boosting net purchases for the year to $7.5 billion. “Taiwan’s strong growth will continue to attract overseas funds,” said Julie Yu, a Taipei-based foreign-exchange trader at Taiwan Shin Kong Commercial Bank. “The central bank will continue to slow gains in the currency, but I still think it’s highly likely the currency will hit NT$30 soon.” Taiwan’s dollar dropped 0.1 percent to close at NT$30.585 against its U.S. counterpart, according to Taipei Forex Inc. It was 1.4 percent stronger at NT$30.125 one minute before the 4 p.m. close. The Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has bought the U.S. dollar almost every day since April, according to two traders familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because policy makers don’t disclose such details. Ten-year bonds rose, snapped a three-day drop. The yield on the 1.125 percent note due September 2020 dropped one basis point to 1.450 percent, according to Gretai Securities Market, the island’s biggest exchange for bonds. The rate has increased four basis points this week. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. --Editors: Ven Ram, Dirk Beveridge To contact the reporter on the story: Andrea Wong in Taipei at awong268@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sandy Hendry at shendry@bloomberg.net.

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