TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s export orders rose 15.2% year-on-year to NT$1.74 trillion (US$57.64 billion) in July, setting a monthly record and marking six consecutive months of growth, the Ministry of Economic Affairs reported Wednesday.

Huang Wei-chieh (黃偉傑), head of the MOEA’s Department of Statistics, said August orders are expected to reach between NT$1.68 trillion and NT$1.73 trillion, an increase of 10.5% to 14.5% from a year earlier, per CNA. He said Taiwan faces uncertainty from Washington’s provisional 20% tariff and the ongoing Section 232 investigation but added that AI demand remains the dominant growth driver.

July’s strong showing was fueled by higher-than-expected demand for advanced semiconductors and servers. The boost coincided with the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics raising Taiwan’s growth forecast for 2025 to 4.45%, citing AI as a key factor.

Electronics continued to lead gains, with orders for electronic products climbing 24.8% to NT$683.42 billion, a monthly record. Orders for ICT products also hit a new high, rising 15.5% to NT$493.73 billion on strong demand for servers, networking gear, and graphics cards.

Traditional industries, however, struggled under tariff pressure. Orders for basic metals fell 12.6%, and plastics and rubber dropped 10.3%. Chemicals bucked the trend, climbing 7.8% on restocking and pharmaceutical demand.

Huang said tariffs weigh more heavily on traditional sectors such as metals and machinery, where Taiwan faces tougher competition from Japan and Germany. Still, US reshoring supported automation demand, with machinery orders up 6.2% to NT$53.44 billion, aided by long-term expansion in semiconductors.

Looking ahead, Huang warned that tariffs could freeze investment and weaken machinery demand. However, with consumer electronics stocking expected to peak in August and September, and AI demand still accelerating, the ministry said Taiwan’s export order momentum should remain intact through the second half of the year.