Taiwan's exports jumped 60.9% year on year to a record $87.22bn in September, extending the island's run of annual growth to 35 months, Focus Taiwan reports.

The streak beats the previous record of 34 months, which ran from November 1985 to August 1988. Global spending on artificial intelligence has driven demand for the island's technology products. September's total also topped the previous monthly high of $82.4bn, set in August, and was $33bn above the same month last year.

Beatrice Tsai, director-general of the ministry's Department of Statistics, said strong worldwide investment in AI and technological innovation had outweighed geopolitical risks and inflation worries. She named three other factors. Demand for advanced electronic components has grown, limited capacity in the electronics supply chain has kept prices high, and manufacturers have built up stock ahead of new phone and consumer device releases.

Taiwan's exports were entering a "historic and brilliant moment," said Tsai according to Focus Taiwan. She added that fourth-quarter shipments were very likely to lift full-year exports above $900bn.

Tsai forecast October exports of $85.2bn to $87.7bn, which would be 40% to 44% higher than a year earlier. Assuming a conservative $80bn a month in the final quarter, cumulative exports would pass $700bn in October, $800bn in November and $900bn in December, she said.

Shipments of information, communication and audio-video products roughly doubled from a year earlier to $39.13bn. Electronic component exports climbed 45.3% to $31.13bn. Tsai said both categories recorded their second-highest monthly values on record.

AI demand has also helped older industries. Exports outside the electronics and information and communications categories grew 25.4% in September. Excluding Lunar New Year months, this was their fastest pace in almost five years. Electrical machinery exports rose 29.8%, the 26th straight month of growth, helped by data centre construction, power grid upgrades and equipment replacement.

Imports rose 51.7% to a record $63.59bn, producing a monthly trade surplus of $23.63bn, up 92.2% from a year earlier.

Third-quarter exports reached $244.92bn, a 44.6% increase. For the first nine months of 2026, exports rose 46.2% to $661.55bn and imports grew 41.3% to $501bn, leaving a cumulative surplus of $160.55bn.