Taiwan's export orders hit new high in 2025 on AI boom

Taipei, Jan. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's export orders smashed records in 2025, soaring 26.0 percent from a year earlier on the back of the current boom in artificial intelligence applications, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Tuesday.

Data compiled by the MOEA showed the country's export orders totaled US$743.73 billion in 2025, up 26.0 percent from a year earlier after export orders in the fourth quarter rose 35.9 percent year-on-year to US$218.63 billion.

Huang Wei-jie (黃偉傑), head of the MOEA's Department of Statistics, told reporters that robust demand for AI-related gadgets resulted in the strong growth of export orders in 2025.

The information/communications and electronic products industries, which accounted for over 70 percent of total export orders in 2025, reported US$233.42 billion and US$291.62 billion in orders, respectively, rising 35.7 percent and 37.9 percent from a year earlier.

In December alone, the MOEA said, Taiwan's export orders hit another monthly record of US$76.20 billion, up 43.8 percent from a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of double-digit growth.

The MOEA said the local information and communications industry recorded US$28.68 billion in export orders in December, up 88.1 percent from a year earlier due to strong demand for servers, Internet communications devices and graphics cards in the AI era.

The electronic products industry also reported a 39.9 percent year-on-year increase in export orders valued at US$27.87 billion in December as IC manufacturing, design, memory chips, printed circuit board makers and IC packaging and testing services providers rode the AI wave.

However, old economy industries remained mixed with global demand uneven largely as a result of oversupply by China, Huang said.

The base metals industry reported US$2.00 billion in export orders in December, down 2.5 percent from a year earlier with the steel market weak, while the plastics/rubber industry and the chemical product industry saw export orders fall 8.2 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, to US$1.46 billion and US$1.45 billion on a supply glut.

However, the machinery industry posted US$2.04 billion in export orders in December, up 17.2 percent from a year earlier as semiconductor suppliers continued production expansion by adding equipment.

As Taiwan and the United States have reached a deal to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods, old economy industries are expected to benefit from the new level of 15 percent which puts Taiwan on an equal footing with its major competitors.

In January, Taiwan's export orders are expected to hit US$70.0 billion-US$72.0 billion, up 45.7-49.9 percent from a year earlier, Huang said, adding the strong growth also reflected a relatively low comparison base over the same period of last year, when the Lunar New Year holiday fell.