Taiwan 2025 exports hit record on strong AI demand

By Faith Hung and Liang-sa Loh

TAIPEI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan's exports closed the year with a record annual total of $640.75 billion, as the island rides a wave of high demand for its chips and technology related to artificial intelligence (AI).

Although growth was 43.4%, December's exports rose slightly less than expected to $62.48 billion, in a streak of 26 consecutive months, the finance ministry said on Friday.

The growth came despite a tariff of 20% on exports to the United States, with which Taipei is in talks to reduce, though semiconductors are at present excluded.

Taiwan's export momentum is expected to be buoyed both by the continued acceleration of AI and high-performance computing applications, the ministry said in a statement.

However, the global economic outlook remains highly uncertain, as U.S. tariff policies take shape and geopolitical risks linger, it added.

Taiwan companies such as TSMC 2330.TW, TSM.N, the world's largest contract chipmaker, are major suppliers to Nvidia NVDA.O, Apple AAPL.O and other tech giants.

For January, the ministry expects exports to rise between 50% and 56% from a year earlier.

In December, Taiwan's exports to the United States soared 125.9% from a year earlier to a record $22.24 billion, while exports to China climbed 11.3%.

Exports of electronic components rose 24.1% to $21.364 billion.

Imports rose 14.9% to $43.04 billion, missing economists' forecasts for an increase of 28.1%.