Taiwan’s exports increased by 20.6% year-on-year to USD 49.8 billion in February 2026, a ten‑month low. This represented a sharp deceleration from the sixteen‑year high of 69.9% recorded in January and fell short of market expectations for a 28.8% rise. It was also the weakest annual growth since March 2025, even though shipments of several key categories continued to expand, including information, communication and audio‑video products (38.7%), electronic components (24.6%), and machinery (10%). In contrast, exports of base metals (-4.7%) and chemicals (-5.9%) declined.
By destination, export growth was strongest to the United States, where shipments surged 33.7%, supported by a recent agreement that cut US tariffs on many Taiwanese goods from 20% to 15%. Exports also increased to Mainland China and Hong Kong (3.3%), ASEAN (32.2%), and Europe (29%). Taken together, Taiwan’s exports in the first two months of 2026 totaled USD 115.6 billion, up 44.5% from the same period a year earlier.
