Electronics are backbone to growing trade

Date: 29/01/04

THE 'Made in Taiwan' label used to be self-consciously stuck on cheap toys and radios. No longer.

The country, which last year joined the World Trade Organization, is now one of the globe's biggest exporters of state-of-the-art electronics goods.

The transformation owes much to a deliberate government policy of coaxing scores of US-trained PhD electronics graduates to return to their homeland after learning their trade at American research institutes and hi-tech firms such as Hewlett-Packard.

Today many household brands of DVD player, digital camera or lap-top computer contain vital Taiwanese-made components, designed and manufactured at science parks outside the country's capital, Taipei.

In 2003, trade between Taiwan and the European Union amounted to €25.2 billion, constituting an increase of almost 9.4% in comparison to 2002.

Imports rose by 9.2%, while exports increased 9.6%. Trade between Taiwan and the EU in this period accounted for 11.6% of Taiwan's overall trade.

Taiwan's main exports to the EU included computers and accessories, electronic products, bicycles, liquid crystal displays and sports equipment.

The EU mainly exported ferrous scrap, semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel, copper plates and sheets, furniture, chemicals, and products used in electronics goods, such as electronic integrated circuits.

Taiwan's trade with central and eastern Europe increased 26.0% in 2002 and 10.5% in 2003. Most remarkable were Taiwan's trade with Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic, which increased by respectively 103.2%, 61.3%, 37.6%, 36.7%, 33.2% and 20.1% in 2003.

• Primary Source

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/taiwan/intro/index.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/taiwan/intro/index.htm

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