Alternatively called Chinese Taipei or the Republic of China, the island of Taiwan has established a global reputation for superior-quality computer, telecommunications and automotive electrical components.
The following list shows which Taiwanese exports generated the greatest sales cashflows during 2017. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify precisely which products in which Taiwan has strong competitive advantages over other nations and consequently attract big dollars in international sales.
For the most recent details, please see the paragraph at the bottom of the “Top 10” tab section in Taiwan’s Top 10 Exports article. For a link to that article, see the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Taiwanese Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products shipped from Taiwan in 2017. Shown within brackets for each product category is the year-over-year percentage increase or decrease in value.
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: US$92.4 billion (up 18.1% since 2016)
- Processed petroleum oils: $10.4 billion (up 9.9%)
- Liquid crystal/laser/optical tools: $8.1 billion (up 9%)
- TV/radio/radar device parts: $7.2 billion (up 19.6%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $7.2 billion (down -7.8%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $7 billion (up 14.4%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $6.3 billion (up 27.2%)
- Unrecorded sound media: $5.7 billion (up 2.7%)
- Printed circuits: $5.6 billion (up 12.6%)
- Computers, optical readers: $4.8 billion (up 15.9%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $4.1 billion (up 7%)
- Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers: $4.1 billion (up 13.4%)
- Polyacetal/ether/carbonates: $4 billion (up 25.3%)
- Styrene polymers: $3.5 billion (up 30.3%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $2.8 billion (up 62.8%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $2.6 billion (up 13.3%)
- Turbo-jets: $2.3 billion (up 38.8%)
- Copper foil: $2.2 billion (up 30.6%)
- Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products: $2.2 billion (up 33.6%)
- Lenses, prisms, mirrors: $2.1 billion (up 13.8%)
Among these product categories, machinery for making semi-conductors posted the greatest value increase from 2016 to 2017.
In second place were Taiwan’s exported turbo-jets which improved 38.8% over the same period.
Taiwanese exports of hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products registered a respectable 33.1% gain, trailed by copper foil’s 30.6% uptick.
The sole top product subcategory to decline was solar power diodes and semi-conductors via its -7.8% year-over-year downturn.
Overall, the value of Taiwanese shipments during 2017 rose 13.3% compared to 2016.
See also Taiwan’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, Taiwan’s Top 10 Imports, Taiwan’s Top Trading Partners and Taiwan’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 8, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on March 8, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on March 8, 2018