- Export orders +30.5% y/y vs +17.8% Reuters poll forecast
- Orders from China +11.6% y/y vs -0.7% in prior month
- Ministry sees 2025 full-year order value hitting record
- Ministry sees October orders between +23.7% and +27.3% y/y
- Ministry cautious about outlook on US trade policy, geopolitical risks
TAIPEI, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Taiwan's export orders rose more than expected in September, increasing for an eighth consecutive month, as the island's growth as an essential hub for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry offset worries about U.S. tariffs.
Export orders in September rose 30.5% from a year earlier to $70.22 billion, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Tuesday, far surpassing analysts' expectations for a 17.8% increase.
Orders for goods from Taiwan, home of the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC and other tech companies, are considered a bellwether of global technology demand.
A general tariff rate of 20% has been imposed on Taiwan's exports by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Taiwan's government has said the 20% tariff is "temporary" as it continues to negotiate with the U.S. for more favourable rates.
Uncertainties such as global trade policy and geopolitical risks continue to weigh on global trade momentum, the ministry said in a statement.
But the momentum for orders will be supported as new applications such as AI and high-performance computing continue to expand, while the fourth-quarter is typically the high season ahead of the year-end holidays in western markets, it said.
Orders for goods from Taiwan, home of the world's largest contract chipmaker TSMC and other tech companies, are considered a bellwether of global technology demand.
A general tariff rate of 20% has been imposed on Taiwan's exports by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Taiwan's government has said the 20% tariff is "temporary" as it continues to negotiate with the U.S. for more favourable rates.
Uncertainties such as global trade policy and geopolitical risks continue to weigh on global trade momentum, the ministry said in a statement.
But the momentum for orders will be supported as new applications such as AI and high-performance computing continue to expand, while the fourth-quarter is typically the high season ahead of the year-end holidays in western markets, it said.
Reporting by Faith Hung and Emily Chan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger
Source: Reuters