Taiwan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in taiwan, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
eCommerce
Last published date:

Overview  

The eCommerce market in Taiwan has grown rapidly in recent years. According to Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) data, in 2022 Taiwan’s eCommerce market (pure online platforms) grew by 10.95 percent, reaching NT$492.9 billion (about US$16.1 billion).

As Taiwan’s eCommerce market continues to develop, young shoppers are increasingly choosing to shop at online retailers. Digital media and entertainment, apparel and footwear, and consumer electronics remain the top three most purchased products from online retailers. The demand for quick delivery has led to an increase in sales of basic household necessities on online platforms.   

Top categories sold online

The Taiwan eCommerce market features a wide variety of products and services, such as the following:  

  • Apparel  
  • Beauty and skincare products  
  • Computers and accessories  
  • Eyewear  
  • Groceries  
  • Food delivery  
  • Household goods  
  • Digital entertainment and videogames  
  • Baby-care products  
  • Shoes, bags, and brand name goods  
  • Travel packages, hotels, and flights  

Business-to-Business eCommerce  

Taiwan has a robust business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce environment, with two major web portals run by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). TaiwanTrade is an eCommerce portal that allows businesses to find suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. iDealEZ Online Marketplace is a platform that allows businesses to buy small quantities to sample items directly from suppliers. B2B eCommerce is the most developed in the information technology, chemical, and textile industries. 

  • Amazon  
  • eBay  
  • Taiwan Trade 
  • TaiwanTrade iDealEZ  

Business-to-Consumer and B2B-to-Consumer (B2B2C)   

  • books.com.tw  
  • Coupang 
  • ET Mall  
  • Friday 
  • ibon Mart  
  • Momoshop
  • PChome  
  • Ruten.com  
  • Rakuten Ichiba Taiwan   
  • Shopee Taiwan 
  • Yahoo! Taiwan  

Cross Border eCommerce   

  • Amazon - U.S.  
  • eBay- U.S.  
  • iHerb - U.S.  
  • Rakuten - Japan 
  • Shopee-Singapore
  • Taobao.com/Tmall.com - China  

Legal & Regulatory environment regulating ecommerce

In Taiwan, there are no general laws regulating e-commerce. E-commerce businesses are treated the same as non-e-commerce businesses and are subject to the same Taiwan laws and regulations. Relevant legislation includes,

  • the Personal Data Protection Act, enacted to protect consumer information privacy,
  • the Consumer Protection Act, enacted to protect the interests of consumers; and
  • the Electronic Signatures Act, enacted to establish a secure and reliable network environment to ensure that information is not easily falsified.

Online Payment Methods

Online shoppers in Taiwan have several payment options for their eCommerce purchases:  

  • Mobile payment  
  • Credit card  
  • Cash  
  • Electronic stored value cards  

Electronic payment is gaining popularity as more Taiwanese consumers use cellphones. According to a 2022 survey, the top four electronic payment institutions based on transaction amount, are Jko Pay (27.9 percent), PX Pay (22.4 percent), iPass Money, also known as Line Pay, (19.3 percent), and E Sun Bank (12.2 percent). This was followed by iCash (5.2 percent), Plus Pay (4.9 percent) and EasyWallet (3.6 percent). (Source: Mirai Business Research Institute)  

Major Shopping Holidays  

November 11th (11/11), known as “Singles’ Day,” is an unofficial consumer holiday observed by young people in Taiwan. On this day, young people who are not in a relationship celebrate their single status by indulging in both online and offline shopping for themselves or purchasing gifts to initiate a new relationship.  

Some Taiwan consumers are also beginning to celebrate other international consumer holidays. These include Christmas, Black Friday, and Mother’s Day, among others. On these holidays, suppliers offer special discounts, which generates higher sales.  

Social Media  

Digital and social media are effective marketing platforms in Taiwan. In 2022, Line (90.7 percent) was the leading social media platform in Taiwan, followed by Facebook (85.3 percent), Instagram (65.3 percent) and Facebook Messenger (60.3 percent). (Source: Digital 2023: TAIWAN) ** 

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility