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■ SIA adds services
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch extra flights to Taipei later this year in response to strong travel demand. "The extra flights are part of Singapore Airlines' ongoing efforts to match capacity with demand, and will see more use of supplementary flights during peak seasons for some destinations," SIA said in a statement yesterday. From Oct. 30 to March 25, the carrier will operate three additional flights from Singapore to Taipei, raising its frequency to the city to 17 times a week. SIA is one of the world's most profitable airlines with net profits of S$1.39 billion (US$830 million) in the year to March 2005.

■ Cargo volume drops
Taiwan's airports and harbors, including Kaohsiung, the world's sixth-busiest container port, handled less cargo last month because of slowing exports growth and rising competition from China. Kaohsiung, Keelung and Tai-chung ports processed 1.04 million standard 20-foot containers last month, down 6.9 percent from a year earlier, statistics on the Web site of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications showed. CKS, Taipei and Kaohsiung airports handled a combined 152,820 metric tonnes of cargo for international flights last month, a 3.3 percent decline from a year earlier, the ministry said. Kaohsiung harbor and other ports handled less cargo after several Taiwanese companies built production lines in China because of lower costs.

■ Future bright for battery packs
Taiwan is expected to replace Japan as the world's largest supplier of laptop computer battery packs next year, with local manufacturers of the lithium batteries gaining an increasing share of the world market, market analysts said. Taiwan has 11 technology companies that produce battery packs for laptop computers. Together they occupy about 40 percent of the world market, second to Japan's 60 percent. The analysts said that with the manufacturers' orders steadily rising, they expected Taiwan's share of the world market to exceed 50 percent next year. Of the 11 companies that produce battery packs for laptop computers, Simplo Technology Co (新普科技) is the leader, with more than 20 percent of the world market. The company expects to receive orders for 15 million battery packs next year, increasing its global market share to 25 percent and replacing Japan's Sanyo Corp as the No. 1 supplier. Other leading manufacturers of the battery packs in Taiwan include Dynapack International Technology Corp (順達科技), Gallowire Enterprise Co (德臻科技) and Celxpert Energy Corp (加百裕).

■ Think Taiwanese `bicycle'
Taiwan will take part in Eurobike, Europe's largest bicycle trade fair, which will open on Thursday in Friedrichshafen, Germany, an official from the Taiwan External Trade Development Council said yesterday. This year's exhibition has attracted more than 800 manufacturers and retailers from 72 countries, with half of them from outside Germany, the official said. Sixteen bicycle and sports-gear manufacturers from Taiwan will take part in the exhibition, the official said, adding that the council will also set up a Taiwan pavilion to showcase the nation's products. The council said it would gain more international exposure by using the slogan "Think Bicycle [sic], Think Taiwan."

■ NT dollar drops
The New Taiwan dollar fell against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, dropping NT$0.177 to close at NT$32.487. US$1.19 billion changed hands during the day's trading.

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