Taiwan's April Economic Signal Stays 'Red' for 5th Month; AI Drives Shift from Low-Margin Manufacturing

The National Development Council (NDC) announced today that the economic signal for April remained 'red' for the fifth consecutive month. Chen Mei-chu, Director of the Department of Economic Development at the NDC, pointed out that AI demand remains strong, with exports showing 'growth in both price and volume,' indicating that Taiwan is moving away from its traditional low-margin contract manufacturing model and increasing its pricing power. The comprehensive score for the April economic signal was 39 points, remaining at the same level as March. Chen emphasized that the enthusiasm for AI investment has not cooled, and the expansion of AI applications will continue to drive Taiwan's export growth. Regarding the impact of the Middle East conflict, the market considers it manageable, and Taiwan's stable growth trend remains unchanged.