Latest reading: Merchandise exports soared 15.1% annually in May, on the heels of April’s 7.6% rise. May’s result marked the...
Merchandise Trade Balance in Taiwan
The merchandise trade balance in Taiwan averaged USD 38.3 billion in the decade to 2024. The 2024 reading was USD 80.6 billion. For more information on trade, visit our dedicated page
Taiwan Trade Chart
Note: This chart displays Trade Balance (USD billion) for Taiwan from 2024 to 2014.
Source: Macrobond.
Taiwan Trade Data
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merchandise Trade Balance (USD bn) | 59.0 | 64.4 | 51.3 | 80.8 | 80.6 |
Merchandise exports accelerate in May
Latest reading: Merchandise exports shot up 38.6% year-on-year in May (April: +29.9% year-on-year). May’s result marked the fastest expansion since July 2010, and was linked to front-loading ahead of possible U.S. tariffs plus strong global demand for AI applications. Meanwhile, merchandise imports climbed 25.0% in annual terms in May (April: +33.0% yoy). As a result, the merchandise trade balance improved from the previous month, recording a USD 12.6 billion surplus in May (April 2025: USD 7.2 billion surplus; May 2024: USD 6.0 billion surplus). Lastly, the trend improved, with the 12-month trailing merchandise trade balance recording a USD 92.7 billion surplus in May, compared to the USD 86.1 billion surplus in April.
Panelist insight: On the outlook, Nomura analysts said: “Despite the tariff shock, we expect export growth to extend its solid performance on strong demand for AI GPU servers (Blackwell) and rising chip prices, which may offset weak demand for non-tech products. Although we believe the tariff shock could substantially lower export growth, due to a likely payback from frontloading demand, a continued ramp-up in Blackwell production may partly offset the likely negative impact from the tariff-induced growth slowdown in H2.”
Consensus Forecasts and Projections for the next ten years
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Taiwanese trade projections for the next ten years from a panel of 5 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable trade forecast available for Taiwanese trade.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Taiwanese trade projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Taiwanese trade forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
Latest Global Trade News
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Philippines: Merchandise exports gain steam in May -
Thailand: Merchandise exports grow at a faster pace in May Latest reading: Merchandise exports shot up 18.5% in annual terms in May (April: +9.8% year-on-year). The result marked the fastest... -
Mexico: Merchandise exports fall in May Latest reading: Merchandise exports fell 0.3% year-on-year in May, contrasting April’s 5.8% increase, due to declines in oil and car... -
Argentina: Merchandise exports decline in May Latest reading: Merchandise exports contracted 7.4% annually in May, on the heels of April’s 2.3% increase. The figure marked the... -
Japan: Exports shrink in May Latest reading: Yen-denominated merchandise exports shrank annually for the first time since September in April, declining 1.7%. This contrasted April’s... -
Singapore: Non-oil domestic exports decline in May Latest reading: Non-oil domestic exports (NODX) declined 3.5% in annual terms in May (April: +12.4% yoy), marking the largest contraction... -
India: Merchandise exports drop in May Latest reading: Merchandise exports decreased 2.2% annually in May, contrasting April’s 9.0% increase. Meanwhile, merchandise imports fell 1.7% over the...