TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s trade surplus rose to NT$1.62 trillion (US$55.7 billion) in the first half of the year, the highest on record, the Ministry of Finance reported Tuesday.

First-half exports totaled US$283.26 billion, a 25.9% year-on-year increase and the highest ever for the period, per Liberty Times. Imports rose at a slower pace, lifting the six-month trade surplus by US$19.6 billion compared to last year.

The trade surplus in June alone hit US$12.07 billion, up from US$4.7 billion a year earlier. Q2 exports reached US$153.71 billion, also a record, marking 20 months of export growth.

MOF Department of Statistics Director Tsai Mei-na (蔡美娜) noted that Taiwan outperformed regional peers, citing Hong Kong’s 16.1% growth, Singapore’s 8.2%, and South Korea’s flat results. Taiwan now leads the Four Asian Tigers in export performance.

Exports to the US rose 51.4% in the first half, with the US accounting for 32.4% of June’s total outbound shipments. Exports to China grew just 12.7% bringing the half-year total to US$36 billion.

This shift pushed Taiwan’s US surplus to US$55.2 billion, nearly US$20 billion more than the China figure. Tsai said it was too early to tell whether this trend would hold for the full year.

Other key markets also showed strong growth: exports to ASEAN rose 31.4%, reaching 20% of the total, while shipments to South Korea rose 25.9%. Exports to Mexico more than doubled, setting new records alongside ASEAN and the US.