Taiwan Exports Hit Record $96.76 Billion on AI Demand
Taiwan reported record October exports of $96.76 billion, driven by global investment in AI infrastructure and strong revenue growth at TSMC.
Taiwan's exports reached a record high of US$96.76 billion in October 2026, a 58.9 percent increase from the previous year. The Ministry of Finance attributed this growth to massive global investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, specifically advanced chips, servers, and graphics cards. Information, communications, audiovisual products, and electronic components accounted for 83 percent of total exports for the month.
This surge contributed to a record monthly trade surplus of US$27.88 billion, as imports also hit a record US$68.89 billion. South Korea became Taiwan's largest single-country import source for the first time due to memory chip demand. The United States remained the largest export market at 34 percent, while the combined share of exports to China and Hong Kong fell to its lowest level in 27 years.
Supporting this trend, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported October revenue of $17.88 billion, a 59.7 percent increase year-over-year. The company plans to significantly increase capital expenditure from 2026 to 2028 to meet AI-driven demand. For the first 10 months of 2026, Taiwan's total exports rose 47.7 percent to US$758.29 billion, with annual totals expected to exceed US$900 billion.
Regional trade also showed growth, with China's foreign trade growing 20 percent to $6.3 trillion during the first 10 months of 2026. China reported a 31.2 percent surge in total goods trade for October, led by a 137.1 percent increase in integrated circuit shipments.
