Taiex Ends at Fresh High as TSMC Smashes Closing Records
Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex closed at a fresh high of 36,296 points, up 2.37%, driven by a record‑setting rally in chipmaker TSMC. TSMC surged 3.27% to NT$2,055, eclipsing its previous peak and contributed roughly 516 index points. Foreign institutional investors poured a net NT$68.9 billion (≈US$2.2 billion) into Taiwanese equities amid optimism over a potential U.S.–Iran cease‑fire. The broader electronics sector outperformed, while non‑tech stocks lagged behind.
Italian Truffle Cheese Fails to Advance Past Taiwan Border over E. Coli
Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration rejected a 2.87‑kilogram shipment of Italian truffle cheese after five samples tested positive for Escherichia coli levels exceeding the island's strict limits. The importer now faces a 20‑50% increase in inspection frequency and the possibility...
Stabilization Fund to Not Intervene Despite Middle East Conflict
Taiwan’s National Financial Stabilization Fund announced it will not intervene in the stock market despite heightened volatility from the Israel‑Iran conflict. The Ministry of Finance cited the island’s solid economic fundamentals and existing price‑stabilization measures that have cushioned crude‑oil price...
Taiwan Navy's Goodwill Fleet Heads to St. Lucia Following St. Kitts Stop
Taiwan’s Republic of China Navy goodwill fleet, comprising the support ship Panshi and the frigates Yueh Fei and Di Hua, completed a three‑day port call in Saint Kitts and Nevis, its first visit in 23 years, before heading to Saint Lucia. About 1,500 locals...
Cheng-Xi Meeting Seen as Beijing Signal to Trump on Taiwan: Scholars
KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, a move scholars interpret as Beijing’s signal to President Trump ahead of his postponed China visit. The meeting reaffirmed the 1992 consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence, indicating tighter...
Ex-U.S. General Urges Creative Ways to Include Taiwan in Drills
Retired U.S. Army Pacific commander Charles Flynn urged creative ways to involve Taiwan in joint military exercises, suggesting drills both on the island and abroad. He highlighted China’s expanding military activities and noted the political sensitivities of deeper cooperation. Flynn...
KMT Chair's Taiwan Strait Remark 'Playing with Fire': Premier Cho
Premier Cho Jung‑tai accused KMT chair Cheng Li‑wun of "playing with fire" after she met President Xi and urged closer Taiwan‑China ties. Cho argued the remark undermines Taiwan’s democratic future and risks inviting Chinese aggression. The KMT rebuffed the criticism,...
Imported Inflation Remains Controllable in Taiwan: Central Bank
Taiwan’s central bank said imported inflation remains controllable despite higher global energy prices driven by the Middle East war. Import prices rose 4.31% in U.S.‑dollar terms in the first quarter, but the TWD’s appreciation limited growth to just 0.33% in...
S. Korea's Revised E-Arrival Card Eases Exchanges Between Taiwan, South Korea: MOFA
South Korea has revised its electronic arrival card, eliminating the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields and dropping the contentious “Taiwan (China)” label from its dropdown menu. The adjustment, announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aligns the digital...
KMT Echoing Beijing Narrative Could Affect Global Support for Taiwan: MAC
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) warned that Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li‑wun’s recent remarks, which framed cross‑strait relations as an internal Chinese matter, mirror Beijing’s narrative and could erode global backing for Taiwan. Cheng’s call to reject foreign intervention and...
NHRC Urges Halt to Eased Migrant Domestic Worker Rules
Taiwan's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urged the government to pause new rules that ease hiring migrant domestic workers for households with children under 12. The policy lowers the monthly employment security fee to NT$2,000 for families with special needs,...
SMRs Not Viable Short-Term, Taiwan Must Plan Early: Expert
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are not a short‑term solution for Taiwan’s energy shortfall, according to nuclear‑energy expert Lee Min. He highlighted nuclear power’s stable costs, low carbon output, and fuel security, especially after the May 2025 shutdown of the Maanshan plant’s...
Taiwan's Cabinet Seeks to Tighten Rule on Migrant Workers' ID Retention
Taiwan's Cabinet approved a draft amendment that outright bans employers and labor brokers from retaining migrant workers' identity documents and from expropriating personal property. The change expands the current rule, which only prohibited document retention "against their will," and adds...
28 People, 4 Firms Indicted over Keelung River Oil Spill
Taiwan prosecutors indicted 28 individuals and four firms for a November 2025 oil spill that polluted the Keelung River and contaminated tap water for over 100,000 households. Chiang Cheng Co. and its officials were charged with illegal waste disposal, false...
Gov't Steps in to Stabilize Plastic Bag Supply Amid Shortages, Price Concerns
Taiwan's Economic Affairs Ministry announced a coordinated response to localized plastic‑bag shortages and price spikes, linking retailers, distributors, and local governments. The ministry increased domestic polyethylene output to outpace demand and signaled readiness to expand supply if oil‑price relief continues....
FTC Approves E. Sun Financial's Acquisition of Mercuries Life
Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission approved E. Sun Financial Holding's acquisition of Mercuries Life Insurance, concluding the deal poses no competition risk. The transaction, a share‑swap valued at roughly NT$48.3 billion (about US$1.52 billion), was announced in January and awaits closing in the...
Taiwan CPI Rises 1.2% in March; Bigger Increase Expected in April: DGBAS
Taiwan's consumer price index rose 1.2% year‑on‑year in March, with core CPI climbing to 1.94%. Government price‑stabilisation kept gasoline at about NT$30.64 (≈$0.98) per litre, despite a 70% surge in OPEC oil prices. The import price index jumped 8.53%, the...
Mandarin Airlines Looking to Suspend Hualien Routes over Low Demand
Mandarin Airlines is seeking to suspend its Hualien‑Kaohsiung and Hualien‑Taichung services due to persistently low demand, with load factors sinking to 20‑30 percent. The routes are projected to lose about NT$70 million (approximately US$2.2 million) each year, exacerbated by fuel costs now...
Netflix Show Highlights Taiwanese Religious Traditions with a Modern Flair
Netflix’s new eight‑part series “Agent from Above” (乩身) places Taiwan’s temple culture at the heart of its storyline, following Kai Ko as a mortal vessel for the deity Nezha. The production team toured both bustling and abandoned temples, crafting sets that...
Plastic Supplies to Remain Sufficient Amid Oil Concerns: MOEA
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced that Taiwan’s plastic supplies will stay ample despite rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. State‑run CPC Corp. will boost ethylene output by 19,000 metric tons in April and an additional...
Northbound Traffic to Peak on Final Day of Tomb Sweeping Holiday
Northbound traffic on Taiwan’s major highways is set to peak on Monday afternoon, the last day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday, with severe congestion reported on the east‑coast Freeway No. 5. Speeds on the Yilan‑Toucheng stretch have fallen below 20 kph, classed...
Republican Congressional Delegation Visits Taiwan, to Meet President Lai
A Republican congressional delegation headed by Rep. Zach Nunn, chair of the Republican Study Committee's National Security Task Force, arrived in Taiwan this week to meet President Lai Ching‑te. The six‑member group, including Reps. Scott Fitzgerald, Julie Fedorchak and Jefferson...
Taishin Securities to Secure No. 4 in Market Share After Merger
Taishin Securities will become Taiwan's fourth‑largest broker after merging with MasterLink Securities. The merger lifts its market share from 2.19% to 5.13%, propelling its rank from 16th to 4th. The combined entity will run 55 offices with 2,763 employees, while...
Taiwan's Goodwill Fleet Transits Panama Canal as Training Mission Continues
Taiwan’s naval goodwill fleet, comprising the support ship Panshi and the frigates Yueh Fei and Di Hua, transited the Panama Canal on April 5, 2026 en route to a likely stop in Belize after a port call in the Marshall Islands. The deployment,...
U.S. Drug Tariffs Seen as Sparing Taiwan Prices, Supply
The United States has issued an executive order imposing up to 100% tariffs on patented drugs manufactured abroad, while offering a 20% rate for firms that relocate production to the U.S. Taiwan officials say the measure will not raise drug...