The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised downward its forecast for Taiwan’s economic growth for this year from a March estimate of 1.6 percent to 1.1 percent, attributing the adjustment mainly to the nation’s weak economy in the first quarter, according to a report released yesterday.
The growth forecast for Taiwan is the lowest among the four “Asian Tigers,” lagging behind the 2.6 percent forecast for South Korea, 2.2 percent for Singapore and 1.5 percent for Hong Kong, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2016 report.
Taiwan’s export-driven economy contracted by 0.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, as demand for goods remained sluggish, the report said.
Capital and inventory investment contracted in response to increasing political uncertainty, it said.
Private and government consumption was unable to offset the slowdown in trade and investment, it said, adding that the latest indicators from the second quarter confirm that economic activity continued to be weak.
As immediate recovery looks unlikely, the growth forecast for Taiwan is downgraded from 1.8 percent to 1.6 percent next year, the report said.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
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