By Joanna Tan · AI in APAC · October 26, 2026

Taiwan’s export orders hit a record US$114.21 billion in September 2026, marking the 20th consecutive month of annual growth, according to data released by the island’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and reported by Focus Taiwan (CNA). The 62.4% year-on-year jump was driven overwhelmingly by global demand for AI-related chips, memory, and electronics.

Electronics orders alone reached US$47.42 billion (+71.0% YoY), while information and communication technology (ICT) orders climbed to US$43.88 billion (+87.3% YoY) — together accounting for roughly 80% of September’s total. MOEA attributed the surge directly to AI demand for IC manufacturing, memory chips, and IC design services, underscoring Taiwan’s central role in the global AI hardware supply chain.

The momentum isn’t confined to electronics. Traditional sectors also benefited from the AI buildout: base metals orders rose 29.7%, machinery 21.5%, chemicals 22.8%, and plastics and rubber 11.4%, as chip suppliers expanded capacity and purchased more equipment and materials.

For the first nine months of 2026, cumulative export orders reached US$819.20 billion, up 56.0% year-on-year. The US remained Taiwan’s top destination market, taking in US$45.38 billion of September orders alone, a 79.4% increase. On the strength of these numbers, MOEA now forecasts full-year 2026 export orders will exceed US$1.1 trillion, a sharp rise from US$743.7 billion in 2025.

The figures are a reminder that AI’s economic footprint in APAC extends well beyond the companies building models and applications — it is reshaping the trade balance sheets of the region’s manufacturing economies. Taiwan’s position at the heart of the chip supply chain means that as long as the global AI buildout continues, its export engine looks set to keep running hot.

Source: Focus Taiwan (CNA), October 20, 2026.

Joanna Tan covers AI investment, policy, and the business of AI for AIAPAC.ai Insights.