Ruth Bradley-Jones, UK Representative Taipei, and Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for the Asia-Pacific region, revealed the latest result of the 2025–2026 UK–Taiwan Business Survey on 16th March. For the first time, the survey incorporated feedback from Taiwanese businesses, providing a more comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of bilateral business relations. The report highlights that, despite heightened global economic uncertainty, UK–Taiwan trade and investment demonstrate strong resilience and stability. Recent GOV.UK statistics show that bilateral trade between the UK and Taiwan grew by 4% between Q4 2024 and Q3 2025.
For most UK companies, Taiwan has remained a key stable market amid recent global economic fluctuations, largely supported by the robust performance of the high-tech sector and sustained investment in digital transformation and innovation. Confidence in operations in Taiwan remains high 80% of UK companies report satisfaction with their current business performance—the highest level on record in the past three years—while 64% expect revenue growth in 2026. Technology and energy are identified as sectors with significant potential for future bilateral cooperation.
However, geopolitical factors remain a key consideration for future investment planning. Survey data indicate that UK companies’ Taiwan strategies are most affected by domestic political uncertainties (61%), more so than New Taiwan dollar exchange rate fluctuations (54%) or US reciprocal tariffs (49%). Confidence in Taiwan’s energy supply is relatively low, with only 23% of UK companies believing current energy policies can meet operational needs over the next five years.
Ruth Bradley-Jones, UK Representative Taipei, said
Last year, we concluded the UK–Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) Pillars on Investment, Digital Trade and Energy and Net Zero, laying the foundation for deeper bilateral economic cooperation. This year, our core objective is to transform these frameworks into tangible action. To this end, we invited Taiwanese businesses to participate in the survey for the first time. By gaining a deeper understanding of the needs of businesses on both sides, we hope to more effectively facilitate UK-Taiwan trade and investment.
Survey findings show that Taiwanese companies perceive the UK as “fair, peaceful and well governed,” as well as “trusted and globally admired,” ranking it second in favourability as a potential trading partner among nine major economies—ahead of the US and several EU nations. Taiwanese companies also show strong interest in collaborating with the UK in artificial intelligence and machine learning (31%), as well as renewable energy (29%). These areas align closely with the strengths of both sides, highlighting strategic synergies in key sectors and presenting significant opportunities for future cooperation.
Notes
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GOV.UK statistics are based on the Taiwan–UK Trade and Investment Factsheet published on 2 February 2026.
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The term “nine major economies” refers to Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US.
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The British Business Survey, launched in 2017, is an annual initiative that gathers insights into British business sentiment toward Taiwan’s economy and business environment. It also examines specific challenges faced by British companies in Taiwan, such as regulatory hurdles, policy changes, and supply chain issues. The latest edition of the UK–Taiwan Business Survey incorporated feedback from Taiwanese companies for the first time. It was conducted between December 2025 and February 2026 and received responses from a total of 105 participating companies.
