Taiwan drone exports surge 749%, Poland top buyer at $6.5Mln

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Jul 2025 19:48

The total value of exported UAVs reached $11.89 million, up from just $1.4 million the previous year.

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A reporter shoots an Image Tracking UAV drone at National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) in Taichung City, central Taiwan, Tuesday, March 14, 2023 (AP)

Taiwan's drone exports soared by 749% in the first half of 2025, according to data reported by the island's Central News Agency (CNA). The bulk of these exports, over half, were funneled to Poland.

The total value of exported UAVs reached $11.89 million, up from just $1.4 million the previous year. Poland alone accounted for $6.48 million of that, while the United States, Germany, and the Czech Republic followed with substantial purchases.

CNA quoted Taiwan's Foreign Trade Development Council as saying: "Taiwan's drone industry has emerged as a new alternative for European buyers because of its flexible production and democratic foundation."

Proxy Militarization

The sudden surge in European demand for Taiwanese UAVs is not coincidental. Since the start of the Ukraine war, NATO states have ramped up defense spending, largely at the behest of Washington, turning Eastern European countries into heavily armed buffer zones.

Taiwan, despite lacking international recognition and operating under US protection, is now being integrated into this apparatus, offering drones that feed into Western security architectures hostile to China and Russia.

Beijing has reiterated that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, and that the "one-China principle" is the foundation of any diplomatic relations.

The rise in Taiwan's arms exports, particularly to NATO states, is seen as part of the West's continuing provocation and disregard for China's sovereignty.

The 2022 visit by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan was one such escalation, drawing fierce condemnation and prompting defensive military drills by the People's Liberation Army.

Weaponized Trade

Meanwhile, Taiwan's local drone sector, though modest in scale, is being weaponized for geopolitical ends. The Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA), created in 2024, now includes over 120 firms aligned with US strategic interests.

While Taiwan plans to increase output to 180,000 units annually by 2028, its current manufacturing capacity remains limited. The West's embrace of Taiwan-made UAVs is therefore not about quality or volume, but about politicizing supply chains to exclude Chinese industries.

From Beijing's perspective, this export spike reveals the lengths to which Western governments will go to militarize Europe and provoke China, even if it means destabilizing cross-strait relations.