Imports to Taiwan increased 14.9% year-on-year to USD 43.04 billion in December, marking the second-highest monthly level on record. The pace slowed sharply from a 45% surge in November and well below market expectations of 28.1%. Benefiting from the international division of labor in the AI industry chain and related export-driven demand, imports of electronic parts and information and communication products continued to expand. By category, purchases rose for electronic parts (+23.3%), information and audio-video products (+100.9%), machinery (+15.1%), and chemicals (+3.7%), but declined for mineral products (-16.1%). By source, import growth was strongest from ASEAN (+31.2%), Korea (+18.7%), China and Hong Kong (+15.3%), Japan (+9.3%), the US (+8.3%), and Europe (+3.6%), while imports from the Middle East declined (-5.7%). For the full year 2025, Taiwan’s total imports reached USD 483.61 billion, up 22.6% year-on-year, with imports from the US edging up 3.2% over the same period.