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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Economy grows 7.96％ on tech exports
2025/08/01 03:00STRUCTURALLY STRONG: A DGBAS executive officer said that exports’ momentum is unlikely to vanish overnight, even if it faces tariff headwinds in the second half
By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s economy expanded by a stronger-than-expected 7.96 percent in the second quarter, the fastest pace since the second quarter of 2021, fueled by surging exports of high-tech products and robust capital formation, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics （DGBAS） said yesterday.
The figure far exceeded the agency’s May projection of 5.23 percent and places Taiwan well ahead of regional peers, the agency said.
South Korea saw 0.5 percent growth, Hong Kong 3.1 percent and Singapore 4.3 percent during the same period, it added.
Second-quarter GDP per capita rose to a record NT$294,237 （US$9,835）, signaling continued resilience amid external uncertainties, it said.
“The better-than-expected performance was largely fueled by a surge in exports and stronger-than-forecast capital formation, including fixed investments and inventory buildup,” DGBAS senior executive officer Chiang Hsin-yi （江心怡） said.
On a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, Taiwan’s GDP soared 12.89 percent, reinforcing the strength of the recovery, DGBAS data showed.
Exports were the standout driver. In US dollar terms, outbound shipments surged 34.06 percent year-on-year in the April-to-June period, buoyed by global demand for artificial intelligence （AI） applications and advanced tech components, the DGBAS said.
In real terms, exports of goods and services — adjusted for inflation and ownership changes — surged 35.1 percent, beating a previous estimate of 28.52 percent, it said.
The spike partly reflected front-loading by global clients ahead of potential US tariffs, the agency said.
Imports also gained momentum, rising 24.54 percent year-on-year, led by a 55.11 percent increase in capital equipment, as manufacturers ramped up investment, the DGBAS said, adding that real imports of goods and services advanced 31.95 percent, further supporting domestic production.
As a result, net external demand contributed 5.77 percentage points to last quarter’s GDP growth, up from the previous estimate of 4.83 percentage points, it said.
While capital formation added 1.56 percentage points, Chiang said that was a deceleration compared with earlier quarters, due to a high base from the previous year.
Nonetheless, domestic investment remained solid, underpinned by long-term corporate strategies, Chiang added.
Chiang declined to comment on whether GDP growth this year could exceed 3 percent, saying that the agency’s figures are subject to revision this month.
However, major institutions, including Barclays PLC, Citigroup Inc, DBS Bank Ltd and the Asian Development Bank, forecast that GDP would grow between 2.8 and 4 percent this year, Chiang said.
“Even if exports face tariff headwinds in the second half of the year, their momentum is unlikely to vanish overnight,” she said, citing the structural strength of Taiwan’s tech sector and persistent capital expenditure.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
