Taipei: Taiwan's exports, imports, and trade surplus all hit record highs in 2025, driven by robust demand for advanced electronic components and information and communication technology (ICT) products, Ministry of Finance data released Friday showed. Taiwan's exports in 2025 surged 34.9 percent from the previous year to US$640.75 billion, surpassing the previous high of US$479.4 billion set in 2022.

According to Focus Taiwan, imports increased by 22.6 percent year-over-year to a record US$483.61 billion in 2025, breaking the previous record of US$428.1 billion in 2022. The trade surplus also saw a significant rise, up 95.0 percent from a year earlier, reaching a record US$157.14 billion. Exports thrived particularly in two sectors: the ICT and video/audio sector, which soared 89.5 percent from 2024 to a new high of US$251.15 billion, and the electronics component industry, which grew 25.8 percent to US$222.87 billion.

These two categories made up approximately 74 percent of Taiwan's total exports in 2025, with the ICT and video/audio sector notably contributing to the nation's export growth in recent years. In 2023, ICT and video/audio product exports amounted to US$83.36 billion, less than half the export value of the electronic component sector, before rising 59 percent in 2024 and 89.5 percent in 2025, fueled by an increase in AI and data center-related exports.

Despite these gains, several major non-high-tech industries faced challenges due to a global supply glut in 2025. Exports of base metal, chemical items, and plastics/rubber products decreased by 2.0 percent, 0.2 percent, and 8.1 percent, respectively, to US$27.95 billion, US$18.25 billion, and US$18.0 billion in 2025. Conversely, the machinery industry posted exports of US$25.75 billion, a 7.0 percent increase from the previous year, as semiconductor firms sought equipment to expand capacity.

Beatrice Tsai, director-general of the Ministry of Finance's Department of Statistics, noted that amid global supply chain restructuring due to tensions between Washington and Beijing, many Taiwanese exporters were aiming to reduce their reliance on the China market. Tsai highlighted that the United States accounted for 30.9 percent of Taiwan's total exports in 2025, amounting to US$198.27 billion, making it Taiwan's largest export market for the first time in 26 years.

This development pushed China and Hong Kong, which accounted for 26.6 percent of Taiwan's exports, to the second spot. Exports to China and Hong Kong increased by 13.2 percent from the previous year in 2025 to US$170.48 billion, ending a three-year decline, Tsai explained. Additionally, exports to the ASEAN bloc climbed 35.6 percent from a year earlier to US$118.98 billion in 2025, marking their best performance in 15 years in that market.

Amid continued strong demand for AI products, the MOF projected that Taiwan's exports in January would range between US$58.1 billion to US$60.4 billion, reflecting a 50-56 percent increase from the previous year. The ministry stated that this expected growth would be aided by a relatively low base of comparison in January 2025, coinciding with the extended Lunar New Year holiday.