Taiwan’s trade surplus jumped to USD 21.27 billion in March 2026, up from USD 6.93 billion a year earlier, far exceeding market expectations of USD 14.5 billion. This was the largest surplus since October 2025 and was underpinned by a 61.8% year-on-year surge in exports to a record USD 80.18 billion. The export boom was led by a 134.5% spike in shipments of information, communication, and audio-video products, alongside a solid 44% increase in electronic components. By destination, exports to the US soared 124%, while shipments to Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 27.4%.
On the import side, inbound shipments increased 38.3% to an all-time high of USD 58.91 billion, driven mainly by higher imports of electronic parts (up 63.4%) and information, communication, and audio-video products (up 131.6%). Import growth was strongest from Mainland China and Hong Kong (38.1%) and from ASEAN economies (70.8%).
For the January–March period, Taiwan posted a cumulative trade surplus of USD 52.96 billion, with exports up 51.1% and imports rising 34.8% year-on-year.