Whoever is named to be minister of economic affairs in the next Cabinet reshuffle faces a number of challenges, including the realization of the 10 Major Infrastructure Projects and strengthening cross-strait business ties, pundits said yesterday.
Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Yi-fu (
Since Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i (林信義), who doubled as the CEPD's chairman, also tendered his resignation yesterday, some observers said the chance for Ho to be named chairwoman in the upcoming reshuffle could not be ruled out.
Wherever she goes, Ho seems to be very popular within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government -- an administration which has been criticized for its lack of talent in the areas of economics and trade.
"It is difficult to coordinate various government departments, but I think Ho has done a good job [as council vice chairman]," Kung Ming-hsin (
"Ho is a good candidate [for the economics ministry]," Kung said.
As for the strengthening of the cross-strait business ties, Kung said that is a policy area set by the Cabinet.
Ho, 53, entered the ministry in 1975 when she joined the Industrial Development Bureau as a technician. She was promoted to deputy director general of the bureau in 1994. She served as a counselor to the Cabinet in 1997 and then became CEPD vice-chairperson in 2000.
During her tenure, Ho proposed and pushed forward several major policies, including a NT$20 billion program for creating public-service jobs to help ease unemployment.
Another major accomplishment was the planning of free-trade ports. Keelung Harbor and Kaohsiung Port have both obtained free-trade port status. Keelung will start free-trade operations in September, while Kaohsiung will begin next year.
Last December Ho proposed a NT$500 billion stimulus package to boost economic growth to 5 percent this year.
Another industry representative said he gave Ho high marks for her expertise and efforts to promote economic policies.
"Ho has a deep understanding of industry from her work in the Industrial Development Bureau for more than 20 years," said Tony Hsu (
Other possible candidates for the ministerial position include China Steel Corp (中鋼) chairman Lin Wen-yuan (林文淵), Taiwan Power Co (台電) chairman Lin Neng-pai (林能白) and Taiwan External Trade Development Council chairman Hsu Chih-jen (許志仁).
WEAKER ACTIVITY: The sharpest deterioration was seen in the electronics and optical components sector, with the production index falling 13.2 points to 44.5 Taiwan’s manufacturing sector last month contracted for a second consecutive month, with the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) slipping to 48, reflecting ongoing caution over trade uncertainties, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) said yesterday. The decline reflects growing caution among companies amid uncertainty surrounding US tariffs, semiconductor duties and automotive import levies, and it is also likely linked to fading front-loading activity, CIER president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢明) said. “Some clients have started shifting orders to Southeast Asian countries where tariff regimes are already clear,” Lien told a news conference. Firms across the supply chain are also lowering stock levels to mitigate
IN THE AIR: While most companies said they were committed to North American operations, some added that production and costs would depend on the outcome of a US trade probe Leading local contract electronics makers Wistron Corp (緯創), Quanta Computer Inc (廣達), Inventec Corp (英業達) and Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶) are to maintain their North American expansion plans, despite Washington’s 20 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods. Wistron said it has long maintained a presence in the US, while distributing production across Taiwan, North America, Southeast Asia and Europe. The company is in talks with customers to align capacity with their site preferences, a company official told the Taipei Times by telephone on Friday. The company is still in talks with clients over who would bear the tariff costs, with the outcome pending further
Six Taiwanese companies, including contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), made the 2025 Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s largest firms by revenue. In a report published by New York-based Fortune magazine on Tuesday, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), ranked highest among Taiwanese firms, placing 28th with revenue of US$213.69 billion. Up 60 spots from last year, TSMC rose to No. 126 with US$90.16 billion in revenue, followed by Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) at 348th, Pegatron Corp (和碩) at 461st, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) at 494th and Wistron Corp (緯創) at
NEGOTIATIONS: Semiconductors play an outsized role in Taiwan’s industrial and economic development and are a major driver of the Taiwan-US trade imbalance With US President Donald Trump threatening to impose tariffs on semiconductors, Taiwan is expected to face a significant challenge, as information and communications technology (ICT) products account for more than 70 percent of its exports to the US, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢明) said on Friday. Compared with other countries, semiconductors play a disproportionately large role in Taiwan’s industrial and economic development, Lien said. As the sixth-largest contributor to the US trade deficit, Taiwan recorded a US$73.9 billion trade surplus with the US last year — up from US$47.8 billion in 2023 — driven by strong
RSS