■ Electronic
Fujitsu eyes N America
Japanese computer maker Fujitsu will create a holding company by March 2008 to oversee its seven units in North America in an effort to have a bigger slice of the market there, a report of the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun said yesterday. The new unified structure will allow the subsidiaries to share customer bases and technologies in order to market their devices and systems in package deals, the report said. Fujitsu Ltd aims to triple its sales over the next five years in North America -- which accounts for 40 percent of the global information technology market -- to ¥1.2 trillion (US$10.5 billion), the report said. Closer cooperation among the seven units through the holding company is expected to boost sales by ¥240 billion, the daily added. The subsidiaries include Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp, which sells servers and other computer equipment, and Fujitsu Consulting, a provider of management and technology consulting.
■ Automobiles
GM said mulling UK job cuts
General Motors Corp may cut almost 1,000 jobs at a Vauxhall plant as the world's largest automaker tries to deal with falling demand for the Astra, the Sunday Times reported, citing unspecified people close to the car industry. The job cuts are just one of the options at Ellesmere Port in Merseyside, northern England, where some of the Astras are built, and executives will continue talks with union leaders and plant bosses this week. No decisions have yet been taken, and job losses in the UK, or on such a scale, could still be avoided, the Sunday Times said.
■ Automobiles
Proton talking to Peugeot
Malaysian national auto manufacturer Proton is in talks with France's Peugeot, Europe's second-largest carmaker, to jointly develop a car for the Southeast Asian market, a news report said yesterday. Both sides are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding in a few months, which might also see PSA Peugeot Citroen SA taking up an equity stake in Proton Holdings Bhd, the Edge business weekly reported, quoting unidentified sources. The car would be marketed as a Proton or a Peugeot/Citroen, the Edge said, adding analysts expect it to be a compact car. Once dominant in Malaysia's auto sector, Proton has lost ground to foreign car makers, with its domestic market share down from around 60 percent in 2002 to 41 percent last year.
■ Electronics
Dell plans Malaysia center
US computer giant Dell Inc will set up a technology and development center in Malaysia's high-tech city Cyberjaya, news reports said yesterday. Dell announced the decision during a visit to the company's headquarters in Round Rock, Texas by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Friday where he met with Dell's founder and chairman Michael Dell and chief executive Kevin Rollins. "Dell's global growth and need for additional development activity, coupled with the success of our Malaysian facilities since 1995, gives us confidence that this new facility will enhance our ability to deliver the industry's best value and customer experience," the national news agency, Bernama, quoted Rollins as saying. The center will be involved in value-added activities, including process design and software development, and employ as many as 1,000 people, Bernama said.
US President Donald Trump yesterday announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on US trading partners, including a 32 percent tax on goods from Taiwan that is set to take effect on Wednesday. At a Rose Garden event, Trump declared a 10 percent baseline tax on imports from all countries, with the White House saying it would take effect on Saturday. Countries with larger trade surpluses with the US would face higher duties beginning on Wednesday, including Taiwan (32 percent), China (34 percent), Japan (24 percent), South Korea (25 percent), Vietnam (46 percent) and Thailand (36 percent). Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
CHIP EXCEPTION: An official said that an exception for Taiwanese semiconductors would have a limited effect, as most are packaged in third nations before being sold The Executive Yuan yesterday decried US President Donald Trump’s 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced hours earlier as “unfair,” saying it would lodge a representation with Washington. The Cabinet in a statement described the pledged US tariffs, expected to take effect on Wednesday next week, as “deeply unreasonable” and “highly regrettable.” Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said that the government would “lodge a solemn representation” with the US Trade Representative and continue negotiating with Washington to “ensure the interests of our nation and industries.” Trump at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on most goods
ACTION PLAN: Taiwan would expand procurement from the US and encourage more companies to invest in the US to deepen bilateral cooperation, Lai said The government would not impose reciprocal tariffs in retaliation against US levies, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he announced five strategies to address the issue, including pledging to increase Taiwanese companies’ investments in the US. Lai has in the past few days met with administrative and national security officials, as well as representatives from various industries, to explore countermeasures after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday last week announced a 32 percent duty on Taiwanese imports. In a video released yesterday evening, Lai said that Taiwan would not retaliate against the US with higher tariffs and Taiwanese companies’ commitments to
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