Exports from May 1 to 10 totaled $18.4 billion, the largest ever for the same period. A roughly 150% surge in semiconductor exports drove the overall performance.
According to the "May 1–10 export and import trends" that the tariff office released on the 11th, exports on the 1st to 10th were tallied at $18.434 billion, up 43.7% from a year earlier. The previous record was $16.8 billion in May 2024.
Semiconductors, in particular, stood out. Semiconductor exports rose 149.8% to $8.539 billion, also the largest ever for the same period. Semiconductors accounted for 46.3% of total exports, up 19.7 percentage points (p) from a year earlier. Exports of computer peripherals (382.8%) and petroleum products (2.4%) were also strong. Exports of passenger cars (-26.0%), auto parts (-4.3%), and ships (-58.6%) declined.
By country, exports increased to China (81.8%), Vietnam (89.3%), the United States (17.9%), Taiwan (96.7%), and the European Union (11.3%). The share of exports to the top three—China, Vietnam, and the United States—was 55.3%.
Meanwhile, imports from May 1 to 10 were $16.737 billion, up 14.9%. Imports rose sharply for semiconductors (41.4%), semiconductor manufacturing equipment (129.7%), petroleum products (100.8%), and crude oil (7.9%), and energy imports such as crude oil, gas, and coal also increased 8.9%. The trade balance, exports minus imports, posted a surplus of $1.698 billion.