Taiwan's export orders jumped again in July, driven by AI demand, and the country is on track to top $1 trillion in orders for the first time — good news for its tech makers and for anyone betting on the AI buildout.

• July orders came in at $97.9 billion, up 62% from a year earlier and the 18th month in a row of growth.
• The result beat official forecasts, thanks to stronger-than-expected demand for servers and cooling parts used in AI systems.
• Info-tech and electronics orders led the surge, while orders for optical gear fell as flat-panel demand stayed weak.
• Traditional industries also picked up, with machinery, metals, plastics and chemicals all growing as chipmakers expand capacity.
• Orders for the first seven months hit a record $602 billion, up over half from last year.

Outlook: August orders are expected near $98 billion, and September could bring the first-ever $100 billion month as phone makers stock up.