Taiwan exports $95B+ to the US annually, dominated by the most strategically important goods in global trade: semiconductors. TSMC, MediaTek, and dozens of Taiwanese chip designers and manufacturers supply the majority of advanced chips used in US electronics, AI servers, smartphones, and military systems. Taiwan is also a top source for flat panel displays, networking equipment, and machinery.
| Category | Share of Taiwan Exports | Product Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Semiconductors & ICs | ~62% | TSMC chips, MediaTek, NVIDIA fabricated chips, ASICs |
| Electronics & Components | ~18% | ASUS, Acer, networking gear, PCBs, electronic components |
| Flat Panel Displays | ~6% | AUO, Innolux LCD panels for TVs and monitors |
| Machinery & Equipment | ~5% | Semiconductor equipment, precision machinery |
| Plastics & Chemicals | ~3% | Specialty plastics, petrochemical products |
Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, and Broadcom design chips in the US but manufacture them at TSMC in Taiwan. These companies receive their finished chips from TSMC — extremely high-value, small-package, air-and-ocean shipments with strict security and confidentiality.
ASUS, Acer, and dozens of Taiwanese ODMs ship computers, motherboards, networking equipment, and server hardware to US distributors and tech companies. B2B tech importers appear consistently in manifest data with high-value, moderate-volume shipments.
AUO and Innolux panels ship to US TV and monitor brands for assembly. These large, fragile display imports require specialized handling and protection from the point of loading to the consumer electronics brand's US distribution center.
Representative records from US CBP public manifest filings — Taiwan origin
| Shipper (Taiwan) | Product | US Consignee | Entry Port | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSMC HSINCHU TAIWAN | INTEGRATED CIRCUITS | APPLE INC USA | Los Angeles | 840 KG |
| ASUS TEK COMPUTER INC | MOTHERBOARDS GRAPHICS CARDS | ASUS US LOGISTICS | Los Angeles | 12,400 KG |
| AU OPTRONICS CORP | LCD DISPLAY PANELS | US DISPLAY BRAND LLC | Long Beach | 28,400 KG |
| DELTA ELECTRONICS TAIWAN | POWER SUPPLY UNITS | DELTA ELECTRONICS USA | Los Angeles | 18,200 KG |
"integrated circuit" or "semiconductor" from TSMC, Taiwan"networking equipment" or "router" from Taiwanese ODMs"LCD panel" or "display module" from AUO or Innolux"server" or "computing equipment" from Taiwan manufacturers"PCB" or "circuit board" imports from Taiwanese factoriesThe value per kilogram of semiconductor imports from Taiwan is the highest of any traded good in the world. Air freight is the primary mode for chips, but ocean freight is used for bulkier electronics. Brokers and forwarders with semiconductor expertise build some of the most profitable accounts in the industry.
TSMC is building US fabs in Arizona, creating new domestic semiconductor supply chains. This is generating new freight flows — equipment from Taiwan to US fab sites, materials, and eventually finished chip output. Getting positioned on these new flows now is a multi-decade opportunity.
US tech companies managing Taiwan supply chains use manifest data to track their own shipments and monitor competitor product launches. Brokers who understand the Taiwan electronics supply chain become invaluable logistics partners, not just carriers.
High-value chips (microprocessors, GPUs, memory) typically ship by air for speed and security. Bulkier electronics, display panels, and equipment ship by ocean. Both air and ocean manifest data is relevant for tracking Taiwan tech imports.
To some extent — manifest data shows the consignee receiving shipments from Taiwan-origin shippers. Major TSMC customers (Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm) appear as regular recipients of Taiwan semiconductor shipments, though some shipments route through consolidators.
NVIDIA GPUs and AI accelerators fabricated at TSMC appear in manifest data as "integrated circuit" or "semiconductor device" imports. The rapid growth of AI chip imports from Taiwan is clearly visible in the data.
Los Angeles/Long Beach handles the largest volume of Taiwan ocean freight. Air cargo routes through LAX, JFK, and SFO. For freight purposes, LA/LGB is the critical port relationship for Taiwan freight specialists.
10M+ manifest records filtered by country of origin, product, port, and company. Find every US importer sourcing from Taiwan.
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