Taiwan Import Growth Hits Nine-Month High

Imports to Taiwan rose 6.8% year-on-year to USD 37 billion in February 2026, significantly easing from a 63.6% surge in the previous month and well below market expectations of a 23.7% gain. It was the weakest annual growth since the decline in January 2025, despite increased purchases of electronic products (24%), information, communication, and audio-video products (81.9%), and machinery (0.2%). Meanwhile, imports fell for mineral products (-30.2%), particularly petroleum (-32.5%), and chemicals (-18.3%). By origin, arrivals increased the most from Mainland China and Hong Kong (20.7%), ASEAN countries (27.5%), and South Korea (14.7%). Imports from Japan (-8%), the US (-7.5%), and Europe (-14.4%) declined. For the first two months of 2026, Taiwan's total imports reached USD 83.9 billion, a 32.5% increase compared with the same period a year earlier.

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.