TW Biz News｜WK 05/19 - 05/25

Every week, we'll select Taiwan's five business news from the previous week for your review.

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• 〔Focus Taiwan〕'Taiwan Travelogue' wins 2026 International Booker Prize

Taipei, May 20 (CNA) "Taiwan Travelogue" (臺灣漫遊錄), a novel by Taiwanese writer Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子) and translated into English by Lin King (金翎), has won the 2026 International Booker Prize, becoming the first Taiwanese work to win the award. The win, announced Tuesday in London, came after King's translation of the novel received the 2024 U.S. National Book Award for Translated Literature, also a first for Taiwanese literature.

• 〔Taiwan News〕Taipei Twin Towers to become city’s ‘new gateway’

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei City Government said the Taipei Twin Towers development project will become a new gateway to the city, highlighting the progress of the landmark project in a press release and promotional video released Friday. The project consists of two skyscrapers: the 53-story C1 tower, which will stand about 280 meters tall, and the 70-story D1 tower, which will reach about 360 meters. Construction of the steel framework for both buildings is nearing the halfway point, with curtain walls being installed and concrete floor slabs being poured on lower levels.

• 〔Taiwan News〕Taiwan breaks into global top 20 startup ecosystems

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan entered the world’s top 20 startup ecosystems for the first time this year, posting the fastest growth rate among leading global startup hubs, the National Development Council said Tuesday. The ranking, published by research organization StartupBlink, covers 120 countries, per CNA. The NDC said the result reflects strong growth momentum and international competitiveness in Taiwan’s startup scene.

• 〔Taiwan News〕US becomes Taiwan’s top trade partner

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s exports to the US nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2026, pushing the US past China and Hong Kong to become Taiwan’s largest trading partner for the first time in 25 years. Taiwan’s representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源), citing Bloomberg Economics estimates, said Saturday that average US tariffs on Taiwanese imports stood at 7% as of May 2026. The rate was lower than tariffs on imports from Vietnam, Germany, Thailand, and India at 12%, Japan and South Korea at 13%, and Indonesia at 15%, while tariffs on Chinese goods remained at 21%.

• 〔Futurism〕Why the Taiwan E-Commerce Market Is Booming With Mobile Shopping and Digital Payments

Taiwan is seeing rapid growth in its digital economy as more and more consumers adopt online shopping, mobile payments, and digital retail experiences. High internet penetration rates, well-developed logistics infrastructure, and a tech-savvy population have allowed the country to become one of the most vibrant e-commerce markets in Asia. From fashion and electronics to groceries and healthcare products, online retail is changing how consumers in Taiwan make purchases.