Taipei: Taiwan's export orders achieved unprecedented levels in 2025, surging by 26.0 percent compared to the previous year, driven by the flourishing artificial intelligence sector, as reported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on Tuesday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the MOEA's data revealed that the nation's export orders reached a total of US$743.73 billion in 2025. This substantial growth was fueled by a 35.9 percent year-on-year increase in fourth-quarter export orders, which amounted to US$218.63 billion.

Huang Wei-jie, the head of the MOEA's Department of Statistics, highlighted that the escalating demand for AI-related technology significantly contributed to the surge in export orders throughout the year. The information/communications and electronic products sectors, which collectively represented over 70 percent of the total export orders in 2025, saw orders rise to US$233.42 billion and US$291.62 billion, respectively. This marked increases of 35.7 percent and 37.9 percent from the previous year.

In December, Taiwan set a new monthly record for export orders at US$76.20 billion, up 43.8 percent from the same month in the prior year. This marked the 11th consecutive month of double-digit growth. The information and communications industry alone recorded US$28.68 billion in export orders for December, an 88.1 percent increase from a year earlier, driven by a surge in demand for servers, Internet communications devices, and graphics cards within the AI landscape.

The electronic products industry also experienced a 39.9 percent year-on-year increase in export orders, valued at US$27.87 billion in December. This was due to the thriving sectors of IC manufacturing, design, memory chips, printed circuit boards, and IC packaging and testing services, all benefiting from the AI boom.

While the tech sectors flourished, traditional industries faced mixed outcomes. Global demand remained inconsistent, largely due to China's oversupply. The base metals industry reported a decline in export orders, with December figures down 2.5 percent from a year earlier at US$2.00 billion, reflecting a weak steel market. Similarly, the plastics/rubber and chemical product industries saw export orders drop by 8.2 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, due to a supply glut.

Conversely, the machinery industry posted positive results, with December export orders climbing 17.2 percent year-on-year to US$2.04 billion, as semiconductor suppliers expanded production with new equipment. Taiwan's recent agreement with the United States to lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods to a new level of 15 percent is anticipated to benefit traditional industries, putting Taiwan on an equal competitive footing with major global competitors.

Looking ahead, Taiwan's export orders for January are projected to reach between US$70.0 billion and US$72.0 billion, reflecting an increase of 45.7-49.9 percent from the previous year. This growth is partly attributed to a lower comparison base from the same period last year, which coincided with the Lunar New Year holiday.