Taipei:Taiwan's export orders in September soared by 62.4 percent compared to the previous year, reaching an unprecedented US$114.21 billion, as reported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).

According to Focus Taiwan, this marks the 20th consecutive month of year-on-year growth in export orders for Taiwan. During the first nine months of the year, export orders increased by 56.0 percent from the previous year, totaling US$819.20 billion.

The electronics sector was a significant contributor to this growth, with export orders amounting to US$47.42 billion, a 71.0 percent increase from the previous year. This surge was primarily driven by advancements in AI, benefiting integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, memory chip production, and IC design. The information and communication technology sector also experienced substantial growth, securing US$43.88 billion in export orders, an 87.3 percent increase from the previous year. Together, these two sectors accounted for nearly 80 percent of the total export orders.

However, the optoelectronics sector experienced a downturn, with export orders declining by 5.6 percent to US$1.97 billion, attributed to reduced demand for flat panels. Meanwhile, traditional industries saw an upturn as semiconductor suppliers expanded production, and rising international crude prices boosted demand for oil and related goods. The machinery sector saw export orders rise by 21.5 percent to US$2.19 billion, while the base metal sector experienced a 29.7 percent increase to US$2.43 billion.

Additionally, the plastics/rubber sector and the chemical product sector reported increases in export orders, rising by 11.4 percent and 22.8 percent, respectively. The United States was the largest buyer of Taiwan-made goods in September, with orders totaling US$45.38 billion, focusing on ICT products, a 79.4 percent increase from the previous year. This was followed by the ASEAN bloc with US$20.85 billion and China/Hong Kong with US$18.21 billion.

The MOEA predicts that AI and peak season effects will continue to drive strong export performance, forecasting US$112.5 billion to US$115.9 billion in export orders for the coming months, representing a 62.0-67.0 percent increase from the previous year. The total export orders for 2026 are expected to exceed US$1.1 trillion, compared to US$743.7 billion projected for 2025.