Taiwan's exports rise for 20th straight month to new high in June

Taipei, July 8 (CNA) Taiwan's exports in June reached a new monthly high of US$53.32 billion, marking a 33.7 percent increase from the previous year and the 20th consecutive month of growth, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) reported on Tuesday.

Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜), director-general of the MOF's Department of Statistics, said that growing prospects for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing continued to drive demand for related products.

Concerns over U.S. tariffs ahead of the expiration of their suspension on July 9, also prompted customers to frontload shipments, she added.

In addition, Tsai went on, international mobile device brands and tech product makers are entering a new product stocking cycle, contributing to Taiwan's exports.

According to Tsai, information and communication technology and audio/video product exports rose by 82.5 percent year-on-year to US$19.68 billion, spurred by AI demands as well as tech products being upgraded or shipped.

Demand for advanced semiconductors drove up electronic component exports by 31.1 percent from the previous year to US$19.12 billion, marking a monthly high and setting the highest growth rate for 39 months, Tsai said.

Meanwhile, base metals and optical and precision instruments reported growth of 11.8 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively, from the previous year.

However, plastics/rubber, chemical and textile exports fell by 12 percent, 4.3 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively, MOF statistics showed.

By trade partner, Taiwan's exports to the United States totaled US$17.27 billion, marking a record monthly high, year-on-year growth of 90.9 percent, and the 23rd consecutive month of expansion.

Exports to ASEAN countries, Japan, and China and Hong Kong rose by 28.2 percent, 25.3 percent, and 13.1 percent, respectively, with exports to European countries dipping by 5.4 percent.

Tsai said Taiwan's strong export performance to the U.S. could be attributed to demand driven by AI and frontloaded shipments.

She added that global supply chain restructuring, solid U.S. economic fundamentals, and policies encouraging the reshoring of manufacturing may have also contributed.

As a result, Taiwan's exports to the U.S. also saw a structural change, with information and communication technology and audio/video product making up 70 percent of exports, compared with 24 percent in 2018.

Moreover, Taiwan's trade surplus with the U.S. totaled US$55.23 billion in the first half of 2025, surpassing for the first time its trade surplus for the period with China and Hong Kong, which stood at US$35.96 billion.

During this period, the U.S. and China (including Hong Kong) each accounted for 27.9 percent of Taiwan's total exports, tying as the top export destinations. This marked the highest share for the U.S. in 33 years, and the lowest for China and Hong Kong in 24 years, Tsai noted.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's largest trade deficit was with South Korea at US$16.3 billion over the past six months.

Total exports for the year so far amounted to US$283.26 billion, an increase of 25.9 percent from the previous year and a record high for the period.