Taiwan’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Ease 1.16 Billion Dollars to 600.7 Billion in September
Taiwan’s foreign exchange reserves stood at 600.745 billion dollars at the end of September, down 1.159 billion dollars from the end of August, the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) said on 5 October. On our calculation, the monthly decline was about 0.19 percent, leaving the total above 600 billion dollars.
3 drivers in the month
The central bank attributed September’s change to returns on the investment of its reserves, movements in major currencies against the dollar, and its own operations to maintain order in the foreign exchange market. It did not give the size of each.
Foreign holdings at 3.2 times reserves
Foreign investors’ holdings of Taiwanese stocks and bonds at market value, plus their New Taiwan dollar deposits, came to 1,927.2 billion dollars at the end of September, about 321 percent of reserves, according to the release. On our calculation, those holdings exceed reserves by about 1,326.5 billion dollars.
Taiwan’s reserves and foreign holdings, end of September 2026
| Measure | $ billion | Change in Sep |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign exchange reserves | 600.745 | -1.159 |
| Foreign holdings of stocks, bonds and deposits | 1,927.2 | Not given |
Foreign holdings are at market value and include New Taiwan dollar deposits.
Why it matters: Taiwan’s reserves remain above 600 billion dollars after a monthly move of less than 0.2 percent. Foreign investors’ holdings of local stocks, bonds and New Taiwan dollar deposits stand at about 3.2 times that stock, the yardstick the release itself sets reserves against.
Outlook: October reserves are due on 5 November at 08:20 GMT. On our reading, investment returns, currency moves against the dollar and market operations will again set the direction.
Sources: Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan), The Edge.
