The most valuable Taiwanese imports also include chemicals used in Taiwan’s vaunted electronics industry. Turbo-jets and aircraft parts are other areas where Taiwan’s domestic supply lags demand, as is also demonstrated by Taiwan’s growing appetite for imported cars.
The following list shows on which product categories Taiwanese importers spent the most. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of detail can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Taiwan has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations. Innovation can transform these disadvantages into lucrative business opportunities.
For the most recent data, please see the link to Taiwan’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Taiwanese Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Taiwanese importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each imported product over the latest 5-year period.
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: US$43.6 billion (Up 37.4% from 2013 to 2017)
- Crude oil: $16.9 billion (Down -49.7%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $12.5 billion (Up 4.5%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $9 billion (Down -45.2%)
- Petroleum gases: $7 billion (Down -36.1%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $6.8 billion (Down -0.8%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $5.5 billion (Up 11.5%)
- Cars: $5 billion (Up 53.1%)
- Refined copper, unwrought alloys: $3.6 billion (Up 8.7%)
- Turbo-jets: $3.5 billion (Up 871.7%)
- Computers, optical readers: $3.5 billion (Up 11.4%)
- Oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers: $3 billion (Up 21.8%)
- Chemicals used in electronics: $3 billion (Up 6.3%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $2.9 billion (Up 110.7%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $2.9 billion (Up 13.5%)
- Cyclic hydrocarbons: $2.6 billion (Down -41%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $2.5 billion (Up 14.4%)
- Other measuring/testing machines: $1.9 billion (Up 18.9%)
- Iron ores, concentrates: $1.8 billion (Down -37%)
- Aircraft parts: $1.8 billion (Up 450.8%)
Among these product categories, turbo-jets posted the greatest increase in Taiwanese import purchases via an 871.7% gain in value from 2013 to 2017.
In second place were imported aircraft parts which grew 450.8% over the same period.
Taiwanese imports of computers showed a robust 110.7% gain, trailed by the 53.1% uptick in Taiwan’s purchases of cars.
Leading the decliners among Taiwan’s top imports were crude oil (down -49.7%) and refined petroleum oils (down -45.2%).
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: Imports 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
