Taiwan's largest electronic component trade show, Taitronics 2002, opened at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall yesterday, attracting 3,829 domestic and foreign visitors -- nearly 1,000 more visitors than on last year's opening day.
With the numbers of inquiries from buyers climbing, electronic component suppliers were enthusiastic that interest in the annual event was growing.
"Judging by the contacts we made today, it seems that demand is recovering -- not a bad first day," said Wang Peir-jang (
United Radiant Technology, a Taichung-based manufacturer of color displays for cellular phones, PDA and digital cameras, had customers visiting from Japan, the US and Europe, representing companies such as Panasonic and Simmons.
"In the past, we could see orders lining up three months ahead, but over the past year, we could only see orders a month or so ahead. With around 100 potential buyers seeking information, it seems that the business is picking up," Wang said.
The China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) told the Taipei Times yesterday that 2,349 of yesterday's visitors were domestic buyers while the rest were from the US, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and China.
CETRA also predicted that with 832 domestic and foreign suppliers of electronic manufacturing equipment, electronic parts and components and cables taking part, the show is expected to entice more than 10,000 international buyers this year, outnumbering last year's 9,900.
Jimmy Tzeng (曾志敏), a product manager for Lite-On Inc (光電), said that business at last year's show -- held just after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US -- was terrible. Tzeng said this year's show is far better.
Lite-On, which displayed a variety of LED Lamps as well as infrared receiver modules, attracted inquiries from more than 50 international buyers yesterday.
The 28th annual Taitronics is a two-stage event. The Taitronics Components and Equipment show, runs through Sunday while the Taitronics Finished Products show is from next Wednesday to Saturday.
Anthony Tung, a buyer from Switzerland, praised the show's products as multi-functional and more compact.
"The suppliers are right on the track with market trends," he said.
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