TAIPEI: Taiwan’s exports reached a record high in September, driven by relentless global demand for artificial intelligence technology.
Government data showed exports surged 30.5% year-on-year to US$70.2 billion, the highest monthly figure ever recorded.
A ministry official confirmed this surpassed the previous record of US$67.9 billion set in December 2021.
Electronics and information technology products, including semiconductors, dominated last month’s shipments due to strong AI demand.
“Right now the world is in an AI arms race, and companies are competing not only on technology but also on inventory,“ Wu Meng-tao from the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research told AFP.
Exports to the United States jumped 40.2% to US$25.3 billion, while shipments to Southeast Asian countries soared 57.5% to US$14.7 billion.
Shipments to China and Hong Kong increased 11.6% to US$12.2 billion.
Taiwan produces more than half of the world’s semiconductors and nearly all high-end chips.
The island’s chip dominance has drawn attention from US President Donald Trump, who has threatened hefty tariffs on microchips.
Taiwanese tech giant TSMC reported record third-quarter net profit last week amid soaring chip demand.
TSMC clients Nvidia and Apple are among companies investing billions in chips, servers and data centres. – AFP
