Taiwan's August exports hit record high on AI-related demand

Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's exports surged to a record US$82.4 billion in August, driven by strong global demand fueled by artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing and cloud applications, as well as higher prices for electronic products, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said Wednesday.

According to preliminary customs statistics released by the MOF, exports totaled US$82.4 billion in August, the highest monthly total on record and up 41.0 percent from a year earlier.

The figure surpassed the previous monthly record of US$80.18 billion set in March and marked the 34th consecutive month of year-on-year export growth, matching Taiwan's longest-ever growth streak, recorded from November 1985 to August 1988.

MOF Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) attributed the strong performance to four main factors: sustained AI-driven demand for advanced semiconductor components, steady global economic growth supported by AI-related investment, inventory restocking ahead of major global smartphone launches, and lingering supply bottlenecks in the electronics industry that continued to push up prices.

Imports rose 44.3 percent from a year earlier to US$60.1 billion, the third-highest monthly total on record, leaving a record monthly trade surplus of US$22.3 billion, up 32.9 percent from a year earlier.

August imports trailed only the US$62.62 billion and US$60.54 billion recorded in June and May, respectively, according to MOF data.

In the first eight months of 2026, exports climbed 44.2 percent year-on-year to US$574.34 billion, while imports rose 40.4 percent to US$437.43 billion, resulting in a cumulative trade surplus of US$136.91 billion.

Electronic components remained the biggest driver of export growth. August exports in the category rose 58.0 percent from a year earlier to a record US$32.22 billion, boosted by strong demand for advanced chips and higher memory prices.

Exports of information and communications products totaled US$33.10 billion, up 41.8 percent year-on-year, as AI-related demand for servers, storage devices, switches and routers continued to strengthen despite weaker demand for laptops.

Combined, the two categories accounted for 79.3 percent of Taiwan's total exports in August.

Exports to Taiwan's five major markets all posted double-digit growth. Shipments to China and Hong Kong climbed 39.3 percent from a year earlier to a monthly record high of US$21.15 billion, while exports to Japan rose 32.0 percent to a monthly record high of US$3.66 billion, led by electronic components.

Exports to the United States increased 20.7 percent to US$23.67 billion, extending the growth streak to 37 consecutive months, while shipments to ASEAN rose 42.2 percent to US$15.13 billion and exports to Europe gained 34.8 percent to US$4.45 billion.

Exports to Mexico and Australia each more than tripled from a year earlier, according to the ministry.

Looking ahead, Tsai said September exports are forecast to range between US$77.0 billion and US$80.3 billion, representing year-on-year growth of between 42 percent and 48 percent. September exports need only exceed US$63.23 billion for third-quarter exports to surpass the second-quarter total and set a new quarterly record, she said.