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Taiwan export orders hit record high on strong AI, chip demand
Taiwan’s export orders in January rose 60.1% year-on-year to US$76.9 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said, marking the 12th straight month of double-digit growth and the highest single-month total.
The figure was up 0.9% from December and beat the ministry’s US$70-72 billion estimate.
Huang Wei-jie, director-general of the Department of Statistics, said the increase was driven by strong demand for AI and high-performance computing applications.
Growth was mainly in the ICT industry, with electronic components up 78.6% and ICT products up 102% year-on-year, led by orders for servers and other high-tech products.
Machinery orders rose 40.6%, the largest year-on-year increase since July 2021, as capacity expansion boosted demand for semiconductor production and automation equipment.
Huang said the timing of the Lunar New Year made January comparisons easier, and he estimated February orders would rise 9-12.9% to US$56.3-58.3 billion.
🔗 Source: Taipei Times
🧠 Food for thought
Implications, context, and why it matters.
Taiwan’s export orders boom is more concentrated than it appears
- January brought gains across categories, yet the full-year 2025 picture narrows to a boom tied mainly to artificial intelligence (AI).
- ICT and electronics drove 92% of the total rise in export orders in 2025 1.
- The tech lift hides soft spots in older industries, with plastics and rubber products down 8.1% over the year 2.
- Trade patterns shifted too, with the United States moving ahead of China and Hong Kong as Taiwan’s top export market in 2025 for the first time in 26 years 2.
A shipping insurance shock could reroute global trade
- The biggest flashpoint sits at the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean that carries around a fifth of global oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas) transit 3.
- Vessel traffic has started to thin out, since steep insurance premiums make many transits unaffordable even without a formal blockade 4.
- If delays drag on, Asian manufacturers would face higher logistics bills and longer shipping times, which would squeeze pricing in Western markets 5.
- Some demand could tilt toward suppliers nearer the US and Europe, including Mexico and Eastern Europe, where routes stay shorter and carry less risk 5.
