Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.
It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing.
“There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,” Tsai said. “Taiwan’s exports are likely to expand another 35 to 40 percent in November, with a bright outlook for December.”
Photo: CNA
While Tsai declined to offer a forecast for next year, she said total exports this year would comfortably exceed US$600 billion, as cumulative shipments have already topped US$500 billion — surpassing the full-year total for last year.
Information, communications and audiovisual products used in AI data centers led the growth, skyrocketing 140 percent to a record high, while electronic components, mainly semiconductors, advanced 27.7 percent, a ministry report showed.
Together, the two categories accounted for nearly 80 percent of total export growth, Tsai said.
Exports to the US surged to US$21.14 billion, more than twice last year’s level, giving it a commanding 34.2 percent share of total shipments — well above China’s 23.2 percent — as local firms increasingly aligned with US partners in the fast-evolving AI ecosystem while trimming exposure to China.
European markets also demonstrated solid growth, with shipments rising 26.2 percent amid strong AI-related investments in Finland and Ireland.
Exports to ASEAN nations rose 40 percent year-on-year, reflecting the region’s growing role in the technology supply chain, Tsai said.
Imports climbed 14.6 percent to US$39.22 billion last month, driven by increasing trade within the AI supply chain. South Korean firms are supplying high-bandwidth memory chips that stack multiple DRAM dies vertically to boost data transfer speeds, she said.
The latest trade figures gave Taiwan a record trade surplus of US$22.58 billion, the ministry said.
In the first 10 months of this year, exports rose 31.8 percent to US$514.45 billion, while imports rose 21.3 percent to US$392.63 billion.
Exports are expected to remain supported by sustained AI and high-performance computing demand, expanding data center infrastructure, new product launches and year-end holiday sales in Western markets, Tsai said.
However, the ministry cautioned that shifts in global trade policies and geopolitical tensions could pose risks to export momentum.
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