The Taiwan Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Asso-ciation (TEEMA,
TEEMA secretary-general Cheng Fu-hsiung (鄭富雄) said that in view of Thailand's central location in the Southeast Asian region and the growing demand for information and communication technology products, TEEMA was seeking to integrate Taiwanese manufacturers' car electronics marketing outlets in Thailand to pave the way for the expansion of business in the region.
Chen said that starting this year, ASEAN member states would gradually remove customs duties on 11 industries, including electronics, e-commerce and automobiles. Cheng added that they were also working to open markets to foreign manufacturers wishing to invest in their respective countries.
Noting that prices for car electronic goods and spare parts were still quite high in Thailand -- even though a number of international car electronics firms had set up factories there -- Cheng said this was an opportune moment for Taiwan's automobile electronics sector to tap into the country's market.
TAITRONIC show
Cheng also said that his association would continue to sponsor a TAITRONIC show in Thailand in July this year as a measure to help domestic manu-facturers explore trade opportunities with foreign buyers, as Taiwanese exhibitors reaped a large number of orders at a similar event held last year in that country.
Prior to the upcoming exhibition, TEEMA will arrange for domestic exhibitors to hold trade consultations with potential buyers, Cheng said.
Official statistics show that approximately 5,000 Taiwanese companies have operations in Thailand, with investments totaling over US$10 billion. The country is Thailand's third-largest foreign investor after Japan and the US.
Two-way trade between the countries amounts to approximately US$6 billion per year.
Trade between Taiwan an Thailand in electronics products and information technology is growing steadily every year.
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