TAIPEI: Taiwan’s trade-reliant economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the final quarter of 2024 thanks to an export surge on strong tech demand ahead of the introduction of possible US import tariffs.
Taiwan is a key hub in the global technology supply chain for companies such as Apple and Nvidia, and home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC),.
Gross domestic product grew by a preliminary 5.37 per cent in the January-March quarter from a year earlier, the fastest rate since the 6.64 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, the statistics agency said on Wednesday (Apr 30).
That beat the 3.4 per cent growth forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll and was faster than growth of 2.9 per cent in the fourth quarter.
Quarter-on-quarter, the economy grew at a seasonally adjusted annualised rate of 9.67 per cent.
US President Donald Trump earlier this month paused plans for sweeping import charges on all countries for 90 days to allow negotiations to take place.
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