By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter

Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday.

It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing.

“There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,” Tsai said. “Taiwan’s exports are likely to expand another 35 to 40 percent in November, with a bright outlook for December.”

Photo: CNA

While Tsai declined to offer a forecast for next year, she said total exports this year would comfortably exceed US$600 billion, as cumulative shipments have already topped US$500 billion — surpassing the full-year total for last year.

Information, communications and audiovisual products used in AI data centers led the growth, skyrocketing 140 percent to a record high, while electronic components, mainly semiconductors, advanced 27.7 percent, a ministry report showed.

Together, the two categories accounted for nearly 80 percent of total export growth, Tsai said.

Exports to the US surged to US$21.14 billion, more than twice last year’s level, giving it a commanding 34.2 percent share of total shipments — well above China’s 23.2 percent — as local firms increasingly aligned with US partners in the fast-evolving AI ecosystem while trimming exposure to China.

European markets also demonstrated solid growth, with shipments rising 26.2 percent amid strong AI-related investments in Finland and Ireland.

Exports to ASEAN nations rose 40 percent year-on-year, reflecting the region’s growing role in the technology supply chain, Tsai said.

Imports climbed 14.6 percent to US$39.22 billion last month, driven by increasing trade within the AI supply chain. South Korean firms are supplying high-bandwidth memory chips that stack multiple DRAM dies vertically to boost data transfer speeds, she said.

The latest trade figures gave Taiwan a record trade surplus of US$22.58 billion, the ministry said.

In the first 10 months of this year, exports rose 31.8 percent to US$514.45 billion, while imports rose 21.3 percent to US$392.63 billion.

Exports are expected to remain supported by sustained AI and high-performance computing demand, expanding data center infrastructure, new product launches and year-end holiday sales in Western markets, Tsai said.

However, the ministry cautioned that shifts in global trade policies and geopolitical tensions could pose risks to export momentum.