With the global economy just emerging from a recession, the Fifth AutoTronics Taipei, which opened yesterday at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall, saw a 6 percent increase in the number of exhibitors this year, thanks to Taiwan’s position in the auto production supply chain, a trade official said.
“Most exhibitions in other countries are shrinking in scale in the aftermath of global economic crisis, but this isn’t the case in Taiwan,” Bureau of Foreign Trade Director-General Huang Chih-peng (黃志鵬) said at the show’s opening.
“This shows Taiwan’s attractiveness thanks to its cluster of suppliers and the overall macroeconomic environment,” he said.
PHOTO: CNA
A total of 1,011 local and foreign companies are participating in the AutoTronics trade show, said the show’s organizer, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會).
This year’s show has attracted participants from 13 countries, including the US, the UK, Indonesia, South Korea and India. Several countries, such as Thailand and the Philippines — have set up national pavilions.
“This year’s Automobile Electronics Show, for the first time, offers an area showcasing electrical and hybrid auto parts,” TAITRA president and CEO Chao Yuen-chuan (趙永全) said.
The area was set up as electric vehicles have become the future trend for the auto industry, he said at the opening ceremony.
“[The area] showcases the technical strength of Taiwan’s R&D and manufacturing ability in lithium-iron batteries, motor modules and other key components for electric vehicles,” Chao said.
Taiwanese firms are increasingly venturing into the growing auto and component market, hoping to create synergy with their Chinese peers to grab a slice of the expanding auto market across the Taiwan Strait.
Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (漢翔航空工業), for one, is displaying two technologies by utilizing its aerospace know-how in vehicle production.
The company is showcasing a network platform that allows seamless network connection among various auto components, and a battery management system and vehicle control unit for easier and safer driving maneuvers.
The two solutions are scheduled for mass production next year, the company said, adding that it has carved a niche in the auto sector with its aerospace experience and strong capability in designing modules, allowing it to respond faster to customer demands.
Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association (電電公會) chairman Arthur Chiao (焦佑鈞) said Taiwan plays a pivotal role in the global electronics supply chain, and opportunities in the auto industry abound thanks to the booming demand in Asia and steady sales in Europe and the US.
The global automobile electronics market is expected to reach US$176 billion by 2012, Chiao said at the opening.
Huang said the local auto sector was expected to benefit if a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China was signed because the transportation sector is included in Taiwan’s early-harvest list.
Huang said Taiwanese companies now have to pay a tariff of about 6 percent for exports of automobiles and related components to China.
The signing of an ECFA is expected to boost the competitiveness of local auto firms, as tariffs may be removed, he said.
UNCERTAINTY: Innolux activated a stringent supply chain management mechanism, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure optimal inventory levels for customers Flat-panel display makers AUO Corp (友達) and Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday said that about 12 to 20 percent of their display business is at risk of potential US tariffs and that they would relocate production or shipment destinations to mitigate the levies’ effects. US tariffs would have a direct impact of US$200 million on AUO’s revenue, company chairman Paul Peng (彭雙浪) told reporters on the sidelines of the Touch Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday. That would make up about 12 percent of the company’s overall revenue. To cope with the tariff uncertainty, AUO plans to allocate its production to manufacturing facilities in
TAKING STOCK: A Taiwanese cookware firm in Vietnam urged customers to assess inventory or place orders early so shipments can reach the US while tariffs are paused Taiwanese businesses in Vietnam are exploring alternatives after the White House imposed a 46 percent import duty on Vietnamese goods, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on the US’ trading partners. Lo Shih-liang (羅世良), chairman of Brico Industry Co (裕茂工業), a Taiwanese company that manufactures cast iron cookware and stove components in Vietnam, said that more than 40 percent of his business was tied to the US market, describing the constant US policy shifts as an emotional roller coaster. “I work during the day and stay up all night watching the news. I’ve been following US news until 3am
COLLABORATION: Given Taiwan’s key position in global supply chains, the US firm is discussing strategies with local partners and clients to deal with global uncertainties Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) yesterday said it is meeting with local ecosystem partners, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), to discuss strategies, including long-term manufacturing, to navigate uncertainties such as US tariffs, as Taiwan occupies an important position in global supply chains. AMD chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) told reporters that Taiwan is an important part of the chip designer’s ecosystem and she is discussing with partners and customers in Taiwan to forge strong collaborations on different areas during this critical period. AMD has just become the first artificial-intelligence (AI) server chip customer of TSMC to utilize its advanced
Taiwan will prioritize the development of silicon photonics by taking advantage of its strength in the semiconductor industry to build another shield to protect the local economy, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said yesterday. Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee, Liu said Taiwan already has the artificial intelligence (AI) industry as a shield, after the semiconductor industry, to safeguard the country, and is looking at new unique fields to build more economic shields. While Taiwan will further strengthen its existing shields, over the longer term, the country is determined to focus on such potential segments as
RSS