USUAL SUSPECTS: Export orders for goods related to the AI boom such as GPUs, ASIC-based systems, and other information and communication products surged
By Meryl Kao / Staff Reporter
Export orders last month rose 62.4 percent year-on-year to US$114.21 billion, the 20th consecutive month of increases and the highest monthly level on record, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence （AI）, high-performance computing and cloud service applications, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
The stronger-than-expected orders, exceeding the ministry’s forecast of 50.7 to 55.1 percent annual growth, partly reflected robust demand for new consumer electronic products, particularly new smartphone models, Department of Statistics Director-General Huang Wei-jie （黃偉傑） said at a news conference in Taipei.
Last month, orders for information and communication technology products surged 87.3 percent to US$43.88 billion, driven by continued expansion in AI, data center and cloud service industries, as well as increased demand for consumer electronics, Huang said.
In particular, demand was strong for new-generation graphics processing unit-based servers as well as application-specific integrated circuit （ASIC） based servers, with ASIC-based systems growing at a faster pace, he said.
Demand increased for networking products, smartphones, notebook computers and industrial PCs, he added.
Orders for electronic components rose 71 percent to US$47.42 billion, driven by orders for IC design, distribution and manufacturing services, as well as memory products, Huang said.
Orders for optoelectronic products fell 5.6 percent to US$1.97 billion on slowing demand for flat-panel products, he added.
Traditional industries saw improving order momentum last month, with machinery orders rising 21.5 percent to US$2.19 billion, driven by semiconductor capacity expansion and strong demand for automation equipment, while base metal orders increased 29.7 percent to US$2.43 billion, supported by AI supply-chain demand for copper foil and copper-clad laminates, Huang said.
Orders for chemical products rose 22.8 percent to US$1.71 billion, bolstered by higher petrochemical product prices amid rising fuel costs, while orders for plastic and rubber products increased 11.4 percent to US$1.53 billion, he said.
Export orders in the third quarter increased 65 percent year-on-year to NT$315.1 billion, and cumulative orders in the first nine months rose 56 percent to US$819.2 billion, a record for the period and exceeding last year’s full-year total, ministry data showed.
The order momentum could continue this month and next month, Huang said, predicting orders this month would rise 62 to 67 percent to between US$112.5 billion and US$115.9 billion.
Export orders in the first 10 months of this year are expected to rise 56.6 to 57.3 percent to between US$931.7 billion and US$935.1 billion, while full-year orders could reach US$1.1 trillion as fourth-quarter orders increase during the peak season, he said.
Traditional industries could also see continued order growth through the rest of this year, buoyed by strength in AI-related supply chains, Huang said.
新聞來源：
TAIPEI TIMES