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2025 full-year exports hit record $640.75 bln

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Exports to US +125.9% y/y (prior month +182.3%)

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Exports to China +11.3% y/y (prior month +16.5%)

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January exports seen up 50%-56% y/y -ministry

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Uncertainty lingers on policy, geopolitical risk, ministry

says

(Recasts, adds details; paragraphs 1-10)

By ‌Faith Hung and Liang-sa Loh

TAIPEI, Jan 9 (Reuters) -

Taiwan's exports closed the year with ​a record annual total

of $640.75 billion, as the island ‍rides a wave of high demand

for its ⁠chips and ⁠technology related to artificial intelligence

(AI).

Although growth was 43.4%, December's exports rose

slightly less ‌than expected to $62.48 billion, ​in a streak of 26

consecutive months, the finance ministry said on Friday.

The growth came despite ⁠a tariff of 20% ‍on exports ​to

the United States, with which Taipei is in talks to reduce,

though semiconductors are at present excluded.

Taiwan's ‍export momentum is expected to be buoyed both

by the continued acceleration of AI and high-performance

computing applications, the ministry said in a statement.

However, the global economic outlook remains highly

uncertain, as U.S. tariff policies take shape ​and ‍geopolitical

risks linger, it added.

Taiwan companies such as TSMC , the

world's largest contract chipmaker, are major suppliers ​to

Nvidia ( NVDA ), Apple ( AAPL ) and other tech giants.

For January, the ministry expects exports to rise

between 50% and 56% from a year earlier.

In December, Taiwan's exports to the United States

soared 125.9% from a year earlier to a record $22.24 billion,

while exports to China ​climbed 11.3%.

Exports of electronic components rose 24.1% to $21.364

billion.

Imports rose 14.9% to $43.04 billion, missing

economists' forecasts for an increase of 28.1%.