Goods export jumps 65% in September on AI electronics demand

Total imports also jumped 57.8% YoY to $808.9b.

Total export and import volume jumped 64.9% and 57.8% year on year (YoY), respectively, in September, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) reported.

Total goods exports reached $762.6b, from a 53.0% YoY increase in August, whilst total goods imports reached $808.9b, from a 60.0% YoY increase in August.

A visible trade deficit of $46.3b, equivalent to 5.7% of goods imports, was recorded in September.

For the first nine months of 2026, total goods exports increased by 45.2% YoY, whilst total goods imports increased by 45.0%. A visible trade deficit of $417.7b, equivalent to 7.0% of goods imports, was recorded.

In the third quarter, total exports increased by 8.8% quarter on quarter (QoQ) on a seasonally adjusted basis, whilst imports rose by 7.9%.

Total exports to Asia grew by 67.5% YoY in September, led by Taiwan (+159.3%), Malaysia (+131.5%), Thailand (+118.0%), Singapore (+77.5%), and the Mainland (+68.1%).

Outside Asia, Mexico recorded the highest increase in total exports (+148.1%), followed by the USA (+133.4%).

Meanwhile, Korea had the largest growth of imports (+231.1%), ahead of Vietnam (+118.7%), Malaysia (+73.9%), India (+61.3%), and the Mainland (+55.6%).

Merchandise exports surged by 64.9% YoY in September on sustained demand in exports of artificial intelligence-related electronic products, a government spokesman said.

This marked the 20th consecutive month of double-digit growth and the fastest monthly YoY growth in over four decades, he added.

Electrical machinery, apparatus, and appliances, and electrical parts exports recorded the largest volume, up 66.2% to $155.6b, followed by office and automatic data processing machines, up 83.7% to $87.7.

Total imports rose in several major commodity categories, also led by electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts, which increased by $953.6b or 51.3%.