Taiwan industrial output jumps 28.68%

Taiwan’s industrial production rose 28.68% in March from a year earlier, hitting 136.90 and stretching its growth streak to 25 months. (moea.gov.tw) (focustaiwan.tw) The Ministry of Economic Affairs said the manufacturing sub-index, which accounts for more than 90% of total output, climbed 30.73% to a record 139.92. (focustaiwan.tw) In the first quarter, the industrial production index rose 24.63% from a quarter earlier to 123.05, while the manufacturing sub-index gained 26.52% to a quarterly record 125.43. (focustaiwan.tw) The biggest driver was artificial intelligence hardware. Chen Yu-fang, deputy head of the ministry’s Department of Statistics, said global demand for AI applications and high-performance computing devices kept supporting Taiwan’s factories. (focustaiwan.tw) That demand showed up most clearly in electronics. The electronics components production index rose 27.87% to 147.02, and the semiconductor production index rose 33.68% to a record 170.79. (focustaiwan.tw) The computer, electronics and optoelectronics sector jumped 146.3% from a year earlier as overseas spending on cloud infrastructure and semiconductors lifted demand for Taiwan-made servers, switches and chip inspection equipment. (focustaiwan.tw) Not every factory line moved the same way. Mining and quarrying fell 10.65%, electricity and gas supply slipped 1.77%, water supply edged down 0.12%, and chemical materials and fertilizers dropped 3.88%. (moea.gov.tw) (focustaiwan.tw) Chen said the Middle East conflict had only a limited effect on March production because inventories of petrochemical inputs and government help finding alternative supplies reduced shortage risks. (focustaiwan.tw) Taiwan’s latest factory data show an economy increasingly pulled by AI infrastructure orders, with semiconductors and servers carrying the gains while older industrial segments lag. (focustaiwan.tw)