Annual Exports Up 8.9% Thanks to AI Boom
Export Momentum Weakens in Second Half,
But Outlook Remains 'Positive'
Taiwan, a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors, is expected to see its annual exports reach a record high of $517.7 billion (approximately 715 trillion won) this year, thanks to the AI boom, according to Taiwanese authorities.
On May 29, Taiwanese media outlets including United Daily News reported that the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) projected in its annual economic outlook that the country's exports would increase by 8.99% year-on-year to $517.7 billion in 2025.
The DGBAS explained that this growth is due to companies stockpiling inventory in response to the uncertainty of U.S. tariff policies, as the Donald Trump administration continues its trade war with countries around the world.
In particular, DGBAS forecasted that Taiwan's exports would continue to rise, citing the ongoing expansion of AI applications, the scaling up of computing power by cloud service providers, and investments in this sector by multiple countries.
As a result, exports in the first half of the year are estimated to surge by 22.55% year-on-year, reaching $275.7 billion. However, the agency projected that export momentum will weaken in the second half, with exports expected to decline by 3.2% year-on-year to $242 billion.
Thanks to robust export performance, Taiwan's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is also forecast to reach 3.10% this year. However, the GDP growth rate is expected to slow in the second half of the year.
Although DGBAS anticipates negative export growth in the second half, it remains optimistic about the export outlook, citing steady demand related to the AI industry and the scheduled launch of high-end server products in the latter half of the year.
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