The third stage of a project to promote Taiwan’s apparel and textile industries initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs has borne fruit, an official at the Industrial Development Bureau said yesterday.
The first and second stages of the project attracted NT$62.6 billion (US$2.09 billion) in investment from the textile industry between 2009 and this year and boosted the industries’ output value from NT$446.7 billion in 2008 to NT$500.8 billion last year, the bureau’s data showed.
INVESTMENTS
The third stage of the project, which focuses on four design and sample centers the ministry established about a year ago, has attracted NT$280 million in direct investments and NT$800 million in related investments, the bureau said.
These four centers — one for making shoes in Greater Taichung, one for making socks in Chunghwa County, one for making towels in Yunlin County and one for making apparel in Taipei City — help local companies design apparel and test the market, said Hong Huei-song (洪輝嵩), a director at the bureau.
DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES
This project has also pushed domestic textile and apparel companies to create their own brands and sales channels, Hong said, adding that the branded business takes about 64 percent of the profit, while the manufacturing takes only 36 percent.
The ministry hopes the domestic apparel and textile industry will create five international brands with yearly revenues of NT$2 billion, he added.
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