Taiwan sees record April export orders on strong AI demand

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) Taiwan reported record-high export orders for April, driven by strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Tuesday.

Export orders rose 19.8 percent year-on-year to US$56.40 billion, exceeding the MOEA's forecast of US$50 billion to US$52 billion. This marks the third consecutive month of annual growth.

For the first four months of 2025, total export orders reached US$205.87 billion, up 14.1 percent from the same period last year, MOEA data showed.

MOEA Department of Statistics Director Huang Yu-ling (黃于玲) attributed the surge to continued global investment in AI, high-performance computing, and cloud services.

Huang also noted that a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs by the Donald Trump administration of the United States on April 9 prompted some buyers to place orders ahead of schedule.

The electronics sector was the main driver, with US$23.09 billion in April orders -- a 35 percent increase -- fueled by strong demand for advanced semiconductors and printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The information and communications sector also grew, reporting US$15.65 billion in orders, up 20 percent, due to AI and cloud-related products.

Optoelectronics orders rose 4.2 percent to US$1.73 billion.

In contrast, some traditional industries struggled, Huang said.

The metal industry saw an 11.1 percent drop to US$1.99 billion due to falling steel prices, while the plastics and rubber industry declined 8.8 percent to US$1.47 billion, affected by oversupply and price competition.

The machinery sector defied the trend, with orders increasing 5.8 percent to US$1.68 billion, driven by automation equipment and machine tool demand.

By region, the U.S. was Taiwan's top customer in April, placing US$19.29 billion in orders -- a 30.3 percent increase -- primarily for electronics. China and Hong Kong followed with US$11.30 billion in orders, up 5.7 percent.

Looking ahead, Huang said strong AI-related demand will likely continue benefiting Taiwan's tech exporters. However, she cautioned that geopolitical tensions and U.S. trade policy could pose risks to global economic growth.

The MOEA forecasts May export orders to reach US$55 billion-57 billion, a 12.5-16.6 percent year-on-year increase.