TLDRs;
- Taiwan’s export orders hit US$60 billion in August, up 19.5%, marking the seventh consecutive month of growth.
- Electronics components surged 39.5%, fueled by AI-driven demand for chips, circuit boards, and assembly services.
- Information and communications exports climbed 20.6%, while optoelectronics gained nearly 10% year-on-year.
- Traditional industries lagged, but overall momentum suggests September exports could surpass US$64 billion.
Taiwan’s export industry continues to ride the artificial intelligence wave, with orders surging to US$60.02 billion in August, according to figures released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
The 19.5% year-on-year increase marked the seventh straight month of export growth and the strongest August result ever recorded.
The robust performance easily exceeded the ministry’s earlier forecast range of US$55.5 billion to US$57.5 billion, underscoring the scale of global demand for AI, cloud computing, and high-performance computing devices. From January to August, export orders totaled US$454.15 billion, up 21.1% from the same period in 2024.
Electronics Components Lead the Surge
The electronics sector was the clear driver of Taiwan’s export momentum. In August alone, electronics components generated US$24.88 billion in orders, a staggering 39.5% jump from the previous year.
Industry analysts attribute the gains to booming demand for integrated circuits (ICs), printed circuit boards, and testing services, all essential for AI development and large-scale data processing.
“AI has shifted from being a niche technology to a mainstream driver of global tech demand,” said Huang Wei-jie, head of the MOEA’s Department of Statistics. “Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain is uniquely positioned to benefit from this trend.”
Information and Optoelectronics Industries Also Thrive
The information and communications industry contributed significantly, reporting US$17.06 billion in export orders, up 20.6% from last year.
Products such as servers, IoT devices, and graphics cards have seen heightened demand as cloud service providers and AI developers race to expand infrastructure capacity.
Meanwhile, optoelectronics firms posted US$2.08 billion in orders, reflecting a 9.8% increase. The rise was driven by stronger sales of inspection and measuring devices, as well as backlight modules used in display technologies.
Traditional Sectors Face Challenges
While technology sectors soared, traditional industries showed signs of weakness. Base metals slipped 9.3% to US$1.84 billion due to sluggish steel demand, while the plastics and rubber industry saw a steep 15.3% decline to US$1.39 billion amid oversupply. The chemical sector also contracted by 9.5% to US$1.41 billion.
The machinery industry, however, bucked the downward trend, with a modest 3.0% growth to US$1.72 billion, boosted by strong demand for semiconductor and automation equipment.
Future Outlook
Looking ahead, the MOEA projects Taiwan’s export orders to reach between US$64 billion and US$66 billion in September, representing a 19% to 22.7% year-on-year increase.
Huang noted that while Taiwan stands to benefit further from the AI boom, challenges remain. Potential U.S. tariffs on semiconductor imports and concerns about slowing demand in the second half of the year could limit growth.
“Taiwan’s role in global AI infrastructure is undeniable,” Huang said. “But we must be prepared for external risks that could temper momentum in 2025.”
