Ship to Taiwan: A Guide to the Growing E-commerce Market

Online shopping in Taiwan is growing. With the right local insights, customs knowledge, and an international shipping partner, you can cash in on this emerging opportunity. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to grow your business and ship internationally into Taiwan.   

ONLINE SHOPPING TRENDS IN TAIWAN 

Which countries does Taiwan import from the most?

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE EXPORTING TO TAIWAN

Where do consumers in Taiwan shop online?

While physical retail continues to attract locals and tourists to destinations like Taipei 101 Mall and Ximending Night Market, Taiwan's online marketplaces are also abuzz with opportunities. Settnig up an online store in taiwan can be a helpful gateway for cross-border businesses wishing to enter the market for the first time.

Most visited Taiwan online shopping sites, 2024⁶

1. Shopee Taiwan
2. Momoshop Taiwan
   
3. Ruten 
   
4. Taobao 
   
5. Amazon

What are people buying online in Taiwan?

How do Taiwanese consumers prefer to pay for their online purchases?

Similar to their Chinese counterparts, Taiwanese e-commerce shoppers are becoming increasingly savvy with cashless payments. Remember that shoppers are more likely to abandon their carts if they cannot pay using their preferred payment method!

Digital wallets’ share of the Taiwanese online payments market is set to grow to 20% in 2024. Line Pay and Apple Pay are the country’s leading digital wallet brands, so retailers should consider offering these options at checkout to appeal to local shoppers with easy, convenient payment methods⁹.

What do Taiwanese online shoppers look out for?

Word-of-mouth marketing is a huge opportunity in the Taiwan e-commerce market. Make your business stand out by building up trust and a positive community of users who are active on social media platforms! 

Peak seasons for online shopping in Taiwan

Be sure to add these dates to your calendar so your business can cash in!

Lunar New Year, January/February

Taiwan’s most important holiday. People have several days off work to spend time with their families, exchange gifts, and join in cultural celebrations.

Qixi Festival (“Chinese Valentine’s Day”), August

The most romantic day of the year and a very lucrative time for chocolate, jewelry and flower businesses.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, November  

Online shopping in Taiwan ramps up during this global sales bonanza. Competition is fierce, so you’ll need to offer some big deals to entice Taiwanese consumers through your online doors.

Singles’ Day, 11 November

Originating in China, this is now the largest shopping sales event in the world (beating even Black Friday!) Prepare to offer significant discounts to help your business stand out.

Double 12, 12 December

Another huge shopping event in Southeast Asia, this date gives bargain hunters not satisfied by the Singles’ Day sales another opportunity to grab some deals!

Christmas Day, 25 December

In recent years, more and more Taiwanese people have begun to celebrate this holiday. Expect to see a surge in e-commerce traffic throughout December. Offering express delivery will help you win some last-minute shoppers, too!

CUSTOMS TIPS FOR SHIPPING TO TAIWAN

Exporting to Taiwan: What documents you need

When shipping internationally, there are several pieces of documentation commonly required to clear your goods through customs smoothly, and help authorities determine what import taxes and duties are due:

• Commercial Invoice
• Bill of Lading
  
• Air Waybill
  
• Certificate of Origin
• Export and Import Licenses
• Export Packing List
  
• Insurance Certificate

This dedicated guide goes into detail on what some important shipping documents are and how to complete them so your shipment can pass through customs smoothly.

Prohibited and restricted commodities

Several commodities are not permitted for shipment by DHL under any circumstances, following full consideration by the operational, legal and risk management teams. They include animals, hazardous or combustible materials, and illegal narcotics. Further information can be found here.

Taiwan import tax and shipping costs

Unless exempt, all imported commercial goods are subject to customs duties and taxes based on their Harmonized System (HS) Code tariff classification. Generally speaking, it is the Importer of Record (i.e. either your business or your chosen logistics carrier) who will pay the import duties and taxes. 

You can find the correct HS code for your shipment easily via DHL’s MyGTS (My Global Trade Services) – a free, user-friendly platform that will help you navigate all aspects of international shipping. This includes calculation of Landed Cost for goods in any country – i.e. your product cost, duties & taxes, and freight charges – enabling you to enhance your pricing strategy and give your customers transparency over shipping fees.

Shipping to Taiwan: DHL’s expert tips

• Letter of Authorization is a document required by Taiwan customs for those that would like to proceed through customs clearance with customs brokers’ support. With the document applied for and signed before shipping, DHL can directly process all the prescribed customs clearance procedures related to all the import, export, and transit of goods on behalf of your business. If you are likely to have frequent shipments to Taiwan, we recommend you sign up for long-term authorization.
• Consider shipping your goods with DHL’s DTP (Duties & Taxes Paid) service. Whilst the payment of Taiwan import tax and duties is typically the responsibility of the receiver – i.e., your customer – DTP will invoice your business to cover the costs instead. This means your customer will not receive additional fees when their package arrives – which may damage their opinion of your brand.