Tue, Apr 10, 2007 page11

• Business Briefs

  • STAFF WRITER WITH AGENCIES
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  ■ EVA posts net loss

  EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) yesterday posted a NT$1.69 billion (US$51.05 million) net loss for last year, due to sharp hikes in fuel prices, compared with a NT$1.33 billion net profit a year earlier.

  "Fuel expense accounts for more than 40 percent of EVA Air's total costs. High international crude oil prices last year did matter a lot to the company," an EVA Air spokeswoman said.

  EVA Air's load factor for passenger flights last year rose to 79.95 percent from 78.71 percent a year earlier, while its load factor for cargo flights increased to 73.30 percent from 72.88 percent, the spokeswoman said.

  With a fleet of 50 aircraft, EVA Air serves 43 passenger and cargo destinations in 25 countries.

  ■ UMC sales up last month

  United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) said yesterday its sales rose 4.28 percent to NT$7.55 billion last month from NT$7.24 billion a month earlier, but were down 10.72 percent year-on-year.

  Sales for the first three months of the year fell to NT$23.03 billion from NT$24.38 billion in the same period last year, the world's second-largest wafer foundry said.

  UMC had earlier said at an investor conference in February that its wafer shipments in the three months to March were expected to decline by 5 percent to 6 percent from the fourth quarter of last year.

  The company's average selling price is also expected to drop by 5 percent to 6 percent quarter-on-quarter, it said.

  ■ Synnex posts rise in sales

  Synnex Technology International Corp (聯強國際), Asia's largest IT product distributor, yesterday posted an 8 percent rise in its first-quarter sales to NT$38.5 billion, compared to NT$35.6 billion for the same period last year. The momentum was attributed to sales of IT products and chip components, the company said in a statement.

  Revenues of IT products grew 10 percent to NT$27 billion in the first three months, marking a record high, it said, adding that the segment accounted for 70 percent of total revenues.

  Sales of communication products dropped 7 percent to NT$5 billion and accounted for 13 percent of all sales, it said.

  Sales of chip components and other products -- which made up 17 percent of all sales -- totaled NT$6.5 billion, a rise of 18 percent from the same period last year, it said.

  ■ Second fashion fair announced

  To encourage the nation's garment makers to develop their own brand names, the Taiwan Textile Federation is holding the second fashion fair, dubbed Taipei In Style 2007, which will run from Aug. 30 through Sept. 2.

  Over 40 local and foreign brand names have registered to participate in the fair, the association said, adding that it expects purchases at the show will exceed the US$30 million attained in last year's show.

  The show is intended to facilitate the government's Branding Taiwan development program and help local garment manufacturers build up international distribution channels and visibility, the association said.

  Taiwan imported branded clothing worth US$1.15 billion last year, up 12.04 percent year-on-year, data showed. The garment import market has grown by average 10 percent annually.

  China, whose high fashion market is estimated at 20 billion yuan (US$2.59 billion) with an annual growth of 70 percent, is another potential market for Taiwan branded garments, the federation said.

  ■ NT gains on greenback

  The New Taiwan dollar gained against its US counterpart yesterday, rising NT$0.009 to close at NT$33.072 on the Taipei Forex Inc.

  Turnover was US$1.06 billion.
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