TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Finance said Monday that Taiwan's exports reached a record high of NT$1.55 trillion (US$51.74 billion) in May, marking the first time monthly exports surpassed the NT$1.5 trillion mark.

The figure represented a 38.6% increase compared to the same period last year and was the 19th consecutive month of growth, primarily driven by rising AI demand and orders ahead of potential US tariffs. Taiwan's exports from January to May totaled NT$7.6 trillion, setting a record high for the same period, per CNA.

Tsai Mei-na (蔡美娜), director of the ministry's statistics department, said that exports of ICT products reached NT$646.43 billion, fueled by increased shipments of high-end servers and graphics cards. This made ICT the largest export category and set a new monthly record. Exports of computers and related components alone rose by NT$253.42 billion. 

Electronic component exports reached NT$559.32 billion, a 28.4% increase from last year, marking the best performance over the past 38 months. Among them, exports of integrated circuits rose by 30% year-on-year, while printed circuit boards grew by 9%.

Tsai added that ICT and electronic component products accounted for nearly 72% of total exports in May, with a year-on-year growth rate of 62.5%.

Machinery exports reached nearly NT$75.88 billion, up 7.7% year-on-year, while exports of optical and precision instruments totaled NT$32.3 billion, marking a 10% increase. However, exports of petroleum and mineral products declined by 27.4% year-on-year, chemicals by 6.6%, textiles by 6.1%, and plastics and rubber products by 4.7%.

In May, the US was Taiwan’s top export destination, with exports reaching NT$511.57 billion, an 87.4% year-on-year increase. The main export categories included ICT products, electronic components, and machinery.

China ranked as the second-largest export destination, with exports totaling NT$463.84 billion in May, up 16.6% from 2024. Electronic component exports to China rose nearly 32%, and metal products increased by 31.5%, making them the dominant export items to the country.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's exports to ASEAN reached NT$323.7 billion, a 52.3% increase year-on-year. Exports of ICT products jumped by 2.4 times, and electronic components rose by 28.4%, while exports of mineral products declined by 25%.