Exports last month set a record high for January. Exports of semiconductors and automobiles rose sharply.
According to the "Monthly export and import trends for January 2026 (final)" that the tariff office released on the 19th, exports last month were $65.805 billion, up 33.8% from a year earlier. Exports have risen for eight straight months since June last year.
By item, semiconductors and automobiles led overall exports. Semiconductor exports last month jumped 102.5% year over year to $20.69 billion. Passenger car exports also turned to growth, rising 19.0% to $5.74 billion. Petroleum products (7.8%), wireless communication devices (89.7%), and wired communication devices (13.0%) also increased. In contrast, ships (-1.5%) and home appliances (-0.6%) decreased.
By country, exports to China surged 46.8% to $13.51 billion, showing a sharp increase. Exports to the United States also rose for the second straight month, up 29.4% to $12.01 billion, and Vietnam ($6.45 billion, 48.1%), Taiwan ($3.947 billion, 61.9%), and the European Union ($5.39 billion, 6.9%) were also strong. In contrast, exports to Japan fell 4.9% to $2.25 billion.
Meanwhile, imports in January were $57.09 billion, up 11.6% from a year earlier. As a result, the trade balance posted a surplus of $8.7 billion, marking a surplus for 12 consecutive months.