Taiwan Becomes World's Largest Russian Naphtha Importer Despite Ukraine Alliance and US Ties

Oct 01, 2025 06:01 pm CST

Taiwan has emerged as the world's biggest importer of Russian naphtha, a crucial petroleum derivative for semiconductor manufacturing, importing $1.3 billion worth in early 2025 despite declaring itself a Ukraine ally. This comes as the US imposes tariffs on India, the second-largest importer of Russian petroleum products, raising questions about Taiwan's strategic relationships with both Russia and the United States.