Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Yiin Chii-ming, at the head of a delegation made up of representatives of more than 30 firms, was to depart yesterday for Australia and New Zealand to explore trade and investment opportunities.
The trade promotion mission is the first organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, in cooperation with the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei, since the containment of SARS late last month.
The business representatives in the delegation come from the domestic consumer electronics, hardware, plastics, automobile accessories, stationery, sporting goods, computer and telecommunications sectors.
Thanks to the containment of SARS and the conclusion of the US-led war in Iraq in the first half of this year, now is the right time for Taiwan companies to seek two-way trade and business opportunities with Australia and New Zealand as August is the high season for foreign traders in the two countries to place orders, business sources said.
The two economies, both rich in agricultural and mineral resour-ces, are complementary with Taiwan's manufacturing-oriented economy, the sources said. They added that Australia is also strong in the telecommunications, medical, biotechnology and environment-related industries and that there is a robust demand there for consumer and durable products and electrical engineering parts and components.
In an effort to broaden the possibility of bilateral cooperation, Yiin also invited over 20 Australian electrical-engineering and biotechnology and related government officials to take part in four professional round-table meetings in Sydney and Melbourne with their counterparts from Taiwan while he is in Australia.
The vice minister will also take the opportunity to invite them to participate in the 2003 Taiwan business Alliance conference slated for October in Taipei.
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