Innovative and sophisticated stationery products took the limelight at the Taipei International Gift and Stationery Spring Show, which kicked off yesterday at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall.
With a booth set up within the trade show's Innovative Cultural Products Gallery, Franz Collection Inc (
Another company, Lucoral & Lupearl Co (
Both firms were recognized by the show's organizer, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA,
The award aims to boost the nation's competitiveness by encouraging Taiwanese companies to build their own brands
One exhibitor stressed that Taiwan has a valuable asset -- a lot of talent for product development and design.
"Even though we have moved our factory to Shenzen, due to its cheap labor, we still have 20 people in Taipei for R&D," said David Huang (
His company, established eight years ago, specializes in manufacturing eye-catching figurines and models of motorcycles, cars, trains and airplanes.
"Half of our products are exported abroad. The US market shows the strongest purchase power," Huang said.
According to TAITRA statistics, the export value of the nation's stationery products from January to October last year reached US$382.33 million.
Exports to the US accounted for 27.57 percent of the total, or US$105.43 million. Hong Kong, Japan and China took a combined share of 33.65 percent of total exports.
Another exhibitor was optimistic about the outlook for this year, saying his company's sales doubled in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period last year, when the SARS epidemic led to a drastic downturn in business for nearly all trades and professions.
"We have high hopes on the trade show securing us more orders from foreign buyers," said Mark Fan (
Although TAITRA has tried to enhance the show's image by describing it as "international," one market insider expressed concern that the show has become too "localized."
"When the show was first held around 30 years ago, some interested foreign exhibitors could not set up booths due to the limited space. The show then gradually became a `national' event, not really an international exhibition," said Lin Cheng-chieh (
"It seems that the center [of the stationery sector] has shifted to Hong Kong as the upcoming trade show there will have more than 4,000 booths occupying a much bigger venue," he said.
More than 2,100 Taiwanese and foreign buyers visited the gift and stationary show on its first day yesterday, compared with some 2,200 people who attended the first day of the autumn show last fall.
According to TAITRA, the four-day show features 533 exhibitors, 16 from abroad, occupying 970 booths.
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