Taiwan's factories are booking more orders than ever, thanks to the AI boom — good news for Taiwan's economy and the chip supply chain.

• July export orders hit an all-time monthly record, up 62% from a year ago and growing for 18 straight months.
• The surprise strength came from AI servers and cooling parts for data centers.
• Chips and telecom gear are driving the boom, while display panels are the one weak spot, down for three months running.
• The US buys the biggest share of these orders, ahead of China and Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Europe.
• Traditional industries are picking up too, as chipmakers expand plants and plastics buyers restock.

Outlook: August and especially September could bring the first $100 billion month as phone makers stock up, putting Taiwan on track to top $1 trillion in orders for the full year.