Taiwan Imports YoY

Imports to Taiwan surged 63.6% year-on-year to USD 46.87 billion in January 2026, following a 14.9% increase in December 2025, and comfortably surpassing market expectations of 40.85% growth. This marked the strongest annual growth since May 2010, as purchases rose across all leading commodities. Parts of electronic products climbed 63.4%, information, communication, and audio-video products grew 254%, machinery rose 66.2%, mineral products increased 14.9%, and chemicals grew 32%. By trading partner, import growth was strongest from Mainland China and Hong Kong (54.5%), followed by South Korea (75.9%), ASEAN countries (70.3%), Japan (50.4%), US (45.6%), Europe (43.8%), and Middle East (16.7%).

Imports to Taiwan increased 14.9% year-on-year to USD 43.04 billion in December, marking the second-highest monthly level on record. The pace slowed sharply from a 45% surge in November and well below market expectations of 28.1%. Benefiting from the international division of labor in the AI industry chain and related export-driven demand, imports of electronic parts and information and communication products continued to expand. By category, purchases rose for electronic parts (+23.3%), information and audio-video products (+100.9%), machinery (+15.1%), and chemicals (+3.7%), but declined for mineral products (-16.1%). By source, import growth was strongest from ASEAN (+31.2%), Korea (+18.7%), China and Hong Kong (+15.3%), Japan (+9.3%), the US (+8.3%), and Europe (+3.6%), while imports from the Middle East declined (-5.7%). For the full year 2025, Taiwan’s total imports reached USD 483.61 billion, up 22.6% year-on-year, with imports from the US edging up 3.2% over the same period.

Imports to Taiwan surged 45.0% year-on-year to a record USD 47.97 billion in November, the fastest growth since February 2025, accelerating from a 14.6% rise in October and well above market expectations of 17.5%. The increase was driven by higher purchases of electronic parts (+45.0%), information and audio-video products (+197.3%), mineral products (+11.5%), machinery (+56.1%), and chemicals (+5.5%). By trading partner, imports from ASEAN (+54.0%) saw the largest increase, followed by Korea (+48.7%), the US (+48.4%), Japan (+33.1%), China & Hong Kong (+20.2%), and Europe (+8.1%). From January to November, total imports reached USD 440.60 billion, up 23.5% year-on-year, with US purchases edging up 2.8% over the same period.