Taiwan's export orders rose 18.5% year-on-year in May, driven by strong global demand for technology, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, according to figures released Friday by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This fourth consecutive month of growth, which reached $57.93 billion, is in line with analysts' forecasts of 18.9% growth.

This momentum is due in part to companies anticipating the threat of new US tariffs. President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of imposing tariffs of up to 32% on Taiwanese imports to the United States, as Taiwan is a key player in the global semiconductor industry. A 90-day moratorium, announced in April, suspended these measures while negotiations are ongoing.

The Taiwanese ministry believes that orders will continue to be supported by demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. It forecasts growth of between 16.3% and 20.7% year-on-year for June.

In detail, orders for telecommunications products jumped 29.5% in May, while orders for electronic equipment climbed 27.7%.

The United States significantly stepped up its purchases, with a 40.1% increase, following a 30.3% gain in April. Japan also increased its orders (+23.2%), while Europe posted more modest growth (+1.5%).

On the other hand, orders from China fell by 2.4%, after a 5.7% increase in the previous month, signaling a possible slowdown in demand in this key region.

However, the ministry remains cautious about the future, pointing to uncertainties related to trade policies and geopolitical tensions, which continue to weigh on global growth.