Taiwan Import Growth Misses Forecasts

Imports to Taiwan soared 51.7% year-on-year to a record USD 63.59 billion in September 2026, accelerating from a 44.3% gain in the previous month. Imports remained strong for parts of electronic products (82.5%), information, communication and audio-video products (106.5%), mineral products (38.9%), machinery (28.1%), and chemicals (5.0%). Mainland China and Hong Kong remained the largest source of imports, accounting for 21.2% of the total, with imports soaring 59.1%. Imports also increased from ASEAN countries (98.4%), South Korea (82.5%), Japan (38.0%), the US (15.5%), Europe (7.4%), and the Middle East (32.8%). For the first nine months of the year, total imports reached USD 501.0 billion, 41.3% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Imports to Taiwan soared 44.3% year-on-year to USD 60.1 billion in August 2026, accelerating from a 37.4% gain in the previous month. Imports remained strong for parts of electronic products (62.6%), information, communication and audio-video products (108.6%), mineral products (38.4%), machinery (12.3%), and chemicals (16.8%). Mainland China and Hong Kong remained the largest source of imports, accounting for 21.1% of the total, with imports soaring 60.2%. Imports also increased from ASEAN countries (77.6%), South Korea (47.7%), Japan (24.4%), the US (35.9%), Europe (14.3%), and the Middle East (7.6%). For the first eight months of the year, total imports reached USD 437.4 billion, 40.4% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Imports to Taiwan climbed 37.4% year-on-year to USD 58.1 billion in July 2026, slowing from a 51.8% surge in June and falling short of market expectations for a 48.4% increase. Growth was driven by purchases of machinery and equipment, which rose 55.8% and accounted for 66.7% of total imports, led by electronic parts (61.5%) and information, communication and audio products (18.8%). Imports of mineral products, which represented 9.8% of the total, increased 25.9%. Mainland China and Hong Kong remained the largest source of imports, accounting for 19.9% of the total, followed by South Korea at 13.6%. In the first seven months of 2026, total imports reached USD 377.3 billion, up 39.8% from the same period a year earlier.