Brussels: Taiwan's investment in the European Union (EU) has surged 650% over the past decade as trade ties between the two economies continue to strengthen, according to data from Taiwan's International Trade Administration (ITA). From 2016 to 2025, Taiwan's total investment in the EU reached about US$13.88 billion, compared with US$1.85 billion from 2006 to 2015, representing an increase of approximately 650 percent, the data show. According to Focus Taiwan, the EU is Taiwan's fourth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling more than US$68.64 billion in 2024. The EU also ranks as Taiwan's largest source of foreign investment. EU-Taiwan trade saw a significant rise in 2021, the year following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, reaching US$68.76 billion, an increase of 32.51 percent from 2020, as detailed by Hsu Li-mei, head of the economic division at the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium. Previously, Taiwan's investment in the EU was relatively limited, with most Taiwanese busi nesses focusing their investments in China and Southeast Asia. However, Hsu noted that after the pandemic, Taiwanese companies began exploring other markets as part of efforts to diversify supply chains, mitigate risks, and enhance global deployment. Even before the pandemic, Taiwan and the EU had started to establish multiple economic and trade cooperation platforms. Post-pandemic, the cooperation has intensified in both content and interaction level, with an expanding scope. Hsu highlighted that officials from EU directorates-general have increased their visits to Taiwan, gaining clearer insights into Taiwan's industrial strength and technological advancements, which in turn opened up more cooperation possibilities and fostered a more open attitude towards collaboration.