Taiwan's economy is booming on record exports, good news for the island's tech makers and workers, though rising oil prices are pushing living costs up.

• Taiwan's growth target for the year is already met, and officials now think GDP could stretch toward 12%.
• August exports hit a record, and if shipments keep climbing through the autumn, the full-year number goes higher.
• Talk of an AI slowdown is being brushed off as a software and security issue, while Taiwan sells hardware — and TSMC and server makers still have solid order books.
• Inflation has stayed under 2% so far this year, but the Middle East war and oil above $100 are feeding through to prices with a lag.
• The government plans to lean on minimum wage hikes and price controls to cushion people who eat out and lower earners.

Outlook: Expect exports to stay strong into year-end, with mild price rises slightly above 2% treated as an acceptable side effect of fast growth.