* Export +18.9% y/y vs +8.5% forecast in Reuters poll

* Exports to China -1.3% y/y (prior month -16.7%)

* Exports value in March hit 20-month high

* Government sees exports in April up 8% to 11% y/y

TAIPEI, April 10 (Reuters) - Taiwan's exports rose more than expected in March on robust demand for artificial intelligence applications, with the government expecting continued stable growth ahead.

Exports jumped 18.9% from a year earlier to a value of $41.82 billion, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, more than twice the 8.5% growth forecast in a Reuters poll and a 1.3% gain in February.

"Exports' value in March hit a 20-month high as demand for new technologies such as AI applications continued to be strong, and demand for traditional goods recovered," the ministry said in a statement, adding that exports of IT, telecommunications, visuals and audio products hit a record $12.65 billion.

The ministry predicted that exports in April should rise between 8% and 11% from a year earlier.

While the ministry pointed to existing risks like high interest rates suppressing global economic growth and geopolitical tensions, it said AI, high performance computing and other new technologies would help exports grow steadily.

Taiwan firms such as TSMC , the world's largest contract chipmaker, are major suppliers of Apple , Nvidia and other global tech giants.

In March, Taiwan's total shipments of electronic components fell 5.5% from a year earlier to $14.70 billion, with semiconductor exports down 6.1%.

Exports to the United States soared 65.7%, compared with 50.3% growth in February.

Exports to China in March were down 1.3% from a year earlier to $12.72 billion, versus the prior month's 16.7% slide.

Taiwan's imports, often seen as a leading indicator of re-exports of finished products, rose 7.1% to $33.14 billion in March. That compared with economists' forecasts for a 2.4% dip. (Reporting by Faith Hung and Liang-sa Loh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)