Overview
- China's customs data, released Wednesday, showed September exports up 29.6% in yuan to 3.03 trillion yuan and 36.3% in dollar terms to $447.18 billion, producing a record monthly trade total and a roughly 905.97 billion yuan surplus.
- Taiwan reported a 35th straight month of export growth with September shipments of $87.22 billion, putting the island on track toward about $900 billion in annual exports according to the finance ministry.
- Officials and analysts attribute the surge mainly to strong global investment in artificial intelligence that boosted demand for semiconductors and to rising overseas sales of electric vehicles.
- Experts warn much of the gain reflects higher prices rather than big increases in shipment volumes, with chip volumes up only about 1% year on year while invoice values rose sharply due to tight supply and AI-driven demand.
- The export strength helps both economies offset weak domestic demand but raises risks because Taiwan’s exports are heavily concentrated in tech components and China’s large surplus with Europe and the U.K. could invite trade scrutiny.