TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s manufacturing output surged in January as demand tied to AI continued to boost electronics production, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said Thursday.
The ministry said the industrial production index reached 124.51 in January, up 28.51% from a year earlier, per UDN. The manufacturing production index rose 30.05% to 126.36, with both gauges hitting record highs for the month and extending growth to a 23rd straight month.
The ministry’s Department of Statistics deputy director-general Chen Yu-fang (陳玉芳) said differences in pricing and product mix in the electronic components sector affected overall output, per CNA. Concentrated shipments of server products in December also led to a pullback in January of the production of electronic and optical products, she said.
Even so, the electronic components industry grew 25.21% year-on-year in January, including a 25.98% increase in integrated circuits. Output of computer, electronic, and optical products surged 139.40% on shipments of high-end computing equipment, marking a 31st consecutive month of growth and the largest January increase on record.
Traditional industries also showed signs of improvement. Chemical materials and fertilizers rose 5.69% year on year, helped by higher output of polished silicon wafers and a lower comparison base as the Lunar New Year fell in the same month last year.
Basic metals production increased 4.88%, while automobiles and auto parts grew 14.66% and machinery and equipment rose 22.29%. Even excluding electronics-related sectors, manufacturing output still rose 3.57% year on year in January, Chen said.
Chen said the combined January–February data will give a clearer picture of whether traditional industries are recovering once Lunar New Year timing effects are removed. Rising tensions in the Middle East have not yet affected February data or domestic production, though the ministry will continue to monitor developments.
The statistics department forecasts the manufacturing production index for February will range between 102.26 and 106.26, representing annual growth of 9.7% to 14.0%. Combined January–February data could reach 114.31 to 116.31, potentially setting a record for the period.
