U.S. Agricultural Exports Opportunities in Taiwan

Executive Summary

In 2024, Taiwan was the eighth-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, valued at $3.8 billion, 16 percent greater than 5 years ago. The top five U.S. agricultural exports to Taiwan are beef and beef products, soybeans, corn, wheat, and fresh fruits. In December 2024, an agreement as part of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative for 21st Century Trade entered into force. The agreement covers trade facilitation, customs, anticorruption, and support for small- and medium-sized businesses. The agreement has yet to conclude other topics undergoing negotiation, including agriculture. The United States was the largest supplier of agricultural products to Taiwan in 2024, accounting for 25 percent of Taiwan’s import market, followed by Brazil (10 percent) and China (6 percent).

Macroeconomic Perspective

Taiwan is a high-income East Asian economy with a real gross domestic product growth of 4.3 percent in 2024, driven by increased investments and a rebound in exports. Retail sales and spending on food services have continued to expand. Easing inflationary pressures, a healthy labor market, high wages, and rising household income will continue to support consumer sentiment and spending in the coming years, including imported foodstuffs.¹

Demographics and Market Trends

Taiwan has a population of 24 million people and a growth rate of 0.03 percent in 2024, with the largest population on the north and west coasts. Taiwan’s urban population is 80 percent of the total, and the major urban areas are New Taipei City, Taipei (the capital), Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Tainan.² As a wealthy economy, consumers in Taiwan have strong purchasing power and frequently prioritize products with health benefits. E-commerce is growing in popularity as a platform for agricultural and food products. Taiwan is highly advanced in technology and social media, making digital marketing essential for businesses entering the market. Importers in Taiwan value the United States as a trustworthy trade partner.

Key Opportunities for Expanding U.S. Exports to Taiwan

Beef and Beef Products
Beef and beef products are the largest U.S. agricultural export to Taiwan, valued at $709 million in 2024, increasing 29 percent during the past 5 years. Taiwan ranked sixth among U.S. markets for beef and beef product exports in 2024. The United States ships frozen and chilled beef to Taiwan in a variety of cuts, including rib fingers, short plate, chuck roll, shank, and top blade. Additionally, the United States dominates grain-fed beef supplies in Taiwan, a segment of the market that continues to expand. The United States is the largest supplier of beef and beef products to Taiwan, accounting for 52 percent of the total market share, followed by Australia (19 percent) and Paraguay (13 percent). Taiwan continues to significantly rely on beef imports to fuel growing domestic demand due to limited beef production. 

Soybeans
Soybeans are the second-largest U.S. agricultural export to Taiwan, at $601 million in 2024. Taiwan was the seventh-largest market for U.S. soybean exports in 2024.The largest soybean supplier to Taiwan is Brazil, accounting for $748 million, followed by the United States and Canada. Taiwan is expected to increase its soybean imports, as it currently relies on imports to meet 98 percent of its demand. 

Corn
Corn is the third-largest U.S. agricultural export to Taiwan, at $384 million in 2024. U.S. corn volume increased by 92 percent since 2020, becoming more price competitive against other suppliers of corn, leading to a recovery in market share. Brazil is the largest corn supplier to Taiwan at $544 million, followed by the United States and Argentina ($136 million). Brazil’s corn exports to Taiwan declined by 24 percent in 2024, whereas U.S. corn exports to Taiwan increased 52 percent. In 2024, the United States gained market share as it harvested the largest U.S. crop in the fall of 2023.

Taiwan’s pork industry has recovered from various non-African swine fever diseases that reduced its feed demand. A recovery in feed demand drove recent import growth.

Wheat
Wheat is the fourth-largest U.S. agricultural export to Taiwan, at $325 million in 2024. Taiwan’s top suppliers are the United States, followed by Australia ($73 million) and Canada ($7 million). The United States has historically been the major wheat supplier to Taiwan, with market share fluctuating between 70 and 90 percent in the last 10 years. Taiwan imports 99 percent of its wheat demand.

In recent years, per capita wheat consumption increased as Taiwan’s high-income and sophisticated consumers demanded more diverse offerings. Taiwan has a vibrant baking industry, including some high-profile award-winning bakers. In addition to western-style wheat products, Taiwan’s consumers also have access to a diverse range of traditional wheat products, including noodles, buns, and dumplings.

Fresh Fruits
In 2024, fresh fruit was the fifth-largest U.S. agricultural export to Taiwan at $262 million, a 34-percent increase compared to the 2020 figure. The United States is the largest supplier to Taiwan, followed by New Zealand ($255 million) and Japan ($222 million). The top fresh fruits that the United States exported to Taiwan were fresh apples, cherries, grapes, peaches, plums, and oranges, including both conventional and organic fruits.

Apples are the top imported fruit in Taiwan, with an import volume of 156,419 metric tons (MT) globally in 2024. The United States regained market share from South Africa and Japan, with U.S. apple exports reaching 63,637 MT, accounting for 41 percent of the market share by volume. This shift is due to moth detections on South African apples in May 2023, which led to an export suspension to Taiwan. South African apple exports were only 7,021 MT in 2024, with the United States filling this supply gap.³ Although people in Taiwan consume a wide variety of fruits, apples remain an important fruit in daily life.

Dairy Products
In 2024, U.S. exports of dairy products to Taiwan were $108 million, declining 11 percent during the past 5 years. This decline was in value. Volume remained steady between 2020 and 2023 but declined from 21,000 MT to 19,000 MT in 2024 due to New Zealand’s competitiveness and lower prices. The top suppliers for dairy products in Taiwan for 2024 were New Zealand (40 percent of imports), the United States (10 percent), and France (9 percent). Due to the westernization of diets and the popularization of healthy eating concepts, the overall dairy market continues to expand. The popularity of drinks like lattes and milk tea in recent years has led to an increase in the demand for liquid milk in many convenience stores and beverage shops on the streets.

The butter market in Taiwan will continue to show stable import demand, as local production of butter is only a few tons and cannot significantly meet the overall market demand.⁴ New Zealand, France, and Australia were the top butter suppliers to Taiwan in 2024, at $93 million, $28 million, and $9 million, respectively. The United States is the seventh-largest supplier at $4.9 million in 2024.

Tree Nuts
U.S. tree nut exports to Taiwan reached $85 million, up 27 percent from 2020. The United States is the largest supplier to Taiwan, with a market share of 39 percent, followed by Vietnam (31 percent) and China (14 percent).

Almonds and walnuts are the most prevalent tree nuts in Taiwan, together accounting for more than half of total global imports. U.S. almond exports to Taiwan were $30 million, and U.S. walnut exports were $21 million in 2024. In addition, pistachios are a fast-growing category, and the United States is the prominent supplier of pistachios to Taiwan at $21 million in 2024. The United States is the only supplier of pecans, with exports of $5 million in 2024. Food manufacturers have successfully promoted and positioned tree nuts as a healthy snack, in which 60 percent of the imported tree nuts are mostly used for snack processing, while 40 percent are utilized in bakeries to enhance texture, flavor, and decoration.⁵

Pet Food
U.S. pet food exports to Taiwan were $35 million in 2024, 24 percent higher than 5 years ago. Taiwan imported a record $277 million of dog and cat food in 2024, reflecting the growing trend of pet ownership and the increasing demand for pet food products in the market. Thailand remains the top supplier of dog and cat food to Taiwan at $103 million, followed by the United States ($35 million), the Republic of Korea (South Korea) ($29 million), and Canada ($25 million).

U.S. pet food brands are well-known for their strict safety measures and high-quality ingredients, which appeal to consumers in Taiwan who value their pets' health and happiness. Collaborations between U.S. companies and local importers, along with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Market Access Program funding, also support the growth of U.S. exports. However, strong competition from Thailand due to its competitive prices and diversified products challenged this growth. In addition, U.S. pet food importers in Taiwan have reported challenges related to highly pathogenic avian influenza and delayed USDA approval for U.S. dog and cat food manufacturing plants for exports to Taiwan.

Pork and Pork Products
Pork remains a staple of domestic cuisine in Taiwan and is a preferred protein choice among consumers. Domestic production has remained steady during the past few years, although high input costs constrain growth in the industry. Taiwan pork and pork product imports were valued at $321 million in 2024, with U.S. exports valued at $19 million. While Taiwan did establish Codex maximum residue levels for ractopamine residues for imported pork products in 2021, the policy shift negatively affected U.S. export volumes. Considerable consumer backlash to the policy change and strict country of origin labeling (COOL) requirements led importers and processors to seek pork from alternative markets or to continue requesting ractopamine-free pork. While export volumes have slightly improved since 2021, stringent COOL requirements and increased batch inspections, coupled with consumer demand for ractopamine-free pork, continue to constrain the potential for U.S. pork and pork product export growth. U.S. exports compete with products from the European Union and Canada. Popular U.S. pork exports to Taiwan include trimmings, boneless picnic ham, and shoulder butt.

Seafood Products
In 2024, U.S. seafood exports to Taiwan were $27 million. The top U.S. seafood products were fish or crustacean flours; meals and pellets; fresh and frozen lobsters; fillet fish; surimi of Alaska pollock; and fish fats and oils. Taiwan has robust aquaculture production, which accounts for approximately 30 percent of Taiwan’s fish production. Most of the aquaculture is tilapia and grouper, so Taiwan would benefit from fish flour, meals, and pellets as feed.

China, Japan, and Norway were the top suppliers of seafood products to Taiwan in 2024, at $232 million, $213 million, and $184 million, respectively, according to Trade Data Monitor. As the population ages, the seafood industry has been promoting its products as a source of high-quality, easily digestible protein. In 2022, Taiwan's per capita seafood consumption remained stable at 27 kilograms (kg) or 59.5 pounds, which is still 26 percent higher than the global average of 20 kg.⁶ The most consumed seafood products in Taiwan are fish, shellfish, cephalopods, shrimp, and crab, with high-end restaurants selling lobsters, oysters, and crabs, which people consider luxury items.

Trade Policy

In December 2024, the first agreement from the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative for 21st Century Trade entered into force, but additional negotiations from the initiative on other topics, including agriculture, have not concluded. This agreement was signed on June 1, 2023, by representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States and includes commitments on anticorruption, good regulatory practices, services domestic regulation, customs administration and trade facilitation, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The first agreement from the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is available on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s website.

Conclusion

Taiwan is a high-income economy with a large population and a major market for U.S. agricultural exports. U.S. agricultural and related products such as beef, soybeans, corn, wheat, fresh fruits, seafood, dairy products, tree nuts, and pork have a good opportunity to expand exports to Taiwan. Importers in Taiwan see the United States as a reliable business partner, with quality products, competitive prices, and transparent business practices. 

¹ S&P Global
² The World Factbook
³ Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN), No. TW2024-0046, October 2024.
⁴ GAIN, No. TW2024-0043, October 2024.
⁵ GAIN, No. TW2025-0009, March 2025.
⁶ GAIN, Taiwan Seafood Market Update 2024, No. TW2024-0018, May 10, 2024.