Taiwan export surge, fuel surcharges, US-Iran tensions

Taiwan's export-driven economy surged through mid-2026, with UBS highlighting Taiwan as the top US AI hardware supplier and citing spillover investment growth as a new dynamic. China Airlines raised cargo fuel surcharges on 16 September 2026 by 5–6.9% to reflect global oil prices; Puretech (保瑞) pharmaceutical reported August 2026 revenue of NT$2.18 billion, up 59%, driven by CDMO orders. Separate reports on Iran's weakening Hormuz leverage under US sanctions and German-Russian diplomatic tensions appear unrelated.