《TAIPEI TIMES》Exports expand 58.9％ to record US$96.76 billion
A folklift moves a shipping container near a cargo truck at a terminal at the Port of Kaohsiung on Oct. 8. Photo: CNA
By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s exports surged 58.9 percent year-on-year to a record US$96.76 billion last month, extending their growth streak to 36 consecutive months, as booming global demand for artificial intelligence （AI） infrastructure drove shipments to new highs, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.
The 36-month expansion streak was also the longest on record for Taiwan, outlasting those of other major economies, including South Korea, the US, Japan and China, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai （蔡美娜） said.
The export boom reflects the resilience of the global economy and the widening reach of AI development across the semiconductor industry, as increasingly sophisticated AI hardware requires more advanced chips and other key components, Tsai said.
Seasonal restocking of new consumer electronics ahead of the year-end shopping season also provided a boost, she said.
Technology products remained the main growth driver for exports last month, with shipments of electronic components rising 61.4 percent year-on-year to US$32.68 billion and information, communications and audiovisual products increasing 72.9 percent to US$47.6 billion, both monthly records, Tsai said.
Electronic component exports were fueled by strong demand for advanced chips, increased capacity for cutting-edge manufacturing processes and tight supplies of memory products, she said.
Shipments of servers and graphics cards also reached record highs, while exports of storage media, switches and routers more than doubled, reflecting continued investment in AI infrastructure, she added.
The strength extended beyond the technology sector as exports rose across most major product categories, with textiles the only exception, Tsai said.
Shipments in other major export categories grew an average of 25.7 percent year-on-year, broadly matching September’s pace and pointing to a broader recovery in overseas demand, she said.
Imports last month soared 75.1 percent year-on-year to a record US$68.89 billion, as manufacturers bought more materials and components to meet export orders, while demand across the global AI supply chain and higher international commodity prices added to the increase, the ministry said.
The trade surplus widened to a record US$27.88 billion in the month, it said.
South Korea overtook China and Hong Kong combined to become Taiwan’s largest single-country source of imports for the first time, accounting for 18.9 percent of the total, Tsai said.
The shift was driven by increased purchases of memory chips amid surging demand and rising prices, she said.
Taiwanese technology manufacturers rely heavily on South Korean suppliers for key memory products, underscoring the complementary roles the two economies play in the global AI supply chain, she added.
In the first 10 months, exports climbed 47.7 percent year-on-year to US$758.29 billion, surpassing US$700 billion for the first time, while imports rose 44.6 percent to US$569.76 billion.
The export momentum is expected to carry into this month, with Tsai forecasting annual growth of 47 percent to 51 percent.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES