Taiwan becomes leading importer of Russian naphtha in first half of 2025, report says
In early 2025, Taiwan became the world's largest importer of Russian naphtha, a fossil fuel derivative and a major source of Moscow's export revenue, according to a report published by a group of NGOs on Oct. 1.
The island's monthly imports surged sixfold between 2022 and the first half of 2025, generating $1.7 billion in mineral extraction tax revenues for Russia, says the joint study by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Taiwan-based non-profit the Environmental Rights Foundation (ERF), German-based non-profit Ecodefense, and non-profit environmental and human rights organization Urgewald.
This sum is sufficient to finance 170,000 Gerbera aerial drones, commonly used in air strikes against Ukraine, the study said.
Kyiv's Western partners have long sought to tighten sanctions targeting Russia's fossil fuel exports, its key source of revenue helping to fuel its all-out war against Ukraine.
In total, Taiwan has imported 6.8 million tons of Russian naphtha between February 2022 and June 2025, worth a total of $4.9 billion — including $1.3 billion in the first half of this year.
This amount accounts for 20% of Russia's total naphtha exports, making Taiwan the world's third-largest buyer overall, according to the report.
The report's authors emphasized that, while Taiwan has provided $50 million in bilateral aid to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022, it has also imported Russian fossil fuels worth $11.2 billion during that period.
The island has publicly supported Kyiv since the war began, providing humanitarian and economic assistance.
Naphtha, which accounts for 26% of Russia's clean oil exports, is crucial for the Taiwanese semiconductor industry, a vital sector of the island's economy and a key part of the global supply chain.
This not only increases Taiwan's dependence on Russia but also makes it more vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions and secondary sanctions, the report warns.
"Russian naphtha reliance creates security of supply risks and puts Taiwan’s petrochemical supply chains in the crosshairs of higher tariffs — the very foundation of its semiconductor and electronics industries," said Isaac Levi, Europe-Russia Policy & Energy Analysis Team Lead at CREA.
Some 72% of Taiwan's Russian naphtha imports were supplied by the U.S.-sanctioned company Novatec.
"Taiwan’s reliance on Russian naphtha bankrolls (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war machine and undermines its democratic allies," says Vladimir Slivyak, co-chair of Ecodefense and co-author of the report.
"Each chip forged with this fuel taints the AI revolution with the suffering of the Ukrainian people."
The study also noted that Taiwan ranked as the fifth-largest buyer of Russian coal between February 2022 and June 2025, although the volumes dropped by 67% in early 2025 compared to the previous year.
Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy closely aligned with the U.S., is considered by China to be its sovereign territory and is often seen as the next potential flashpoint in a conflict between great powers.
The Washington Post recently reported that Russia has been helping China prepare for a possible invasion of Taiwan, namely, by arming and training Chinese airborne troops.
