Taiwan January export orders hit record on AI-related demand

TAIPEI, March 4 (Reuters) - Taiwan's export orders rose more than expected in January, starting the year strong with orders for the chips and technology powering AI remaining robust.

Here are the details:

• Export orders in January rose 60.1% from a year earlier to a record $76.91 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Wednesday. That was better than analysts' expectations for a gain of 50.87%, and marked its 12th straight monthly gain.

• Orders for goods from Taiwan, home of the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC 2330.TW and other tech companies, are considered a bellwether of global technology demand.

• For February, the ministry said it expected export orders to rise between 9.0% and 12.9% on year due to the week-long Lunar New Year holiday that month, as well as geopolitical factors.

• Uncertainties such as global trade policy and geopolitical risks continue to weigh on global trade momentum, the ministry said in a statement.

• But the momentum for orders would be supported as new applications such as AI and high-performance computing continue to expand, it said.

• Taiwan's orders in January for telecoms products were up 102% from a year earlier, while those for electronic products jumped 78.6%.

• Overall orders from China soared 58.9% versus a 15.0% gain in December.

• Orders from the United States jumped 64.3%, after a surge of 55.3% the month before. Orders from Europe were up 56.1%, and those from Japan rose 44.1%.