Taiwan has emerged as the world’s largest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative critical to semiconductor production, even as it publicly aligns itself with Ukraine and international sanctions against Moscow. According to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Taiwan imported $1.3 billion worth of Russian naphtha in the first half of 2025, with average monthly imports nearly six times higher than the 2022 average. Compared to the same period in 2024, imports rose by 44%.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan has purchased 6.8 million tonnes of Russian naphtha, worth $4.9 billion- equal to 20% of Russia’s total exports of the petroleum product.

Naphtha, derived from crude oil, is used to produce chemicals essential for man

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