Taiwan Becomes World's Largest Importer of Russian Naphtha Despite Security Concerns
Taiwan has significantly increased its imports of Russian naphtha, a crucial feedstock for its petrochemical industry and semiconductor manufacturing. Despite opposing Russia's war in Ukraine and imposing sanctions, Taiwan has become the world's largest importer of Russian naphtha in the first half of 2025, spending over $1.3 billion.
Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical has led this surge, accounting for about 85% of the total imports so far this year. In the first half of 2025 alone, Taiwan imported 1.9 million tonnes of Russian naphtha, worth approximately $1.3 billion. This marks a nearly six-fold increase in average monthly purchases since 2022, with Taiwan spending over $4.9 billion on Russian naphtha in that time.
Taiwan's reliance on Russian energy has raised concerns about its national security. Legislator Puma Shen has warned that this dependence poses a threat, given the geopolitical tensions. However, unlike the US and EU, Taiwan has not restricted imports of Russian fossil fuel products.
Taiwan's sharp increase in Russian naphtha imports, primarily driven by Formosa Petrochemical, has made it the world's largest importer of this critical feedstock. Despite the geopolitical risks and opposing Russia's actions in Ukraine, Taiwan continues to rely heavily on Russian energy supplies.
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