SOLID DEMAND: New smartphone launches by major brands and robust demand for ICT products drove orders to a new high last month, the economics ministry said

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 21, 2020
By: Angelica Oung / Staff reporter

Export orders hit a new record of US$51.6 billion last month, growing for an eighth straight month on an annual basis, bolstered by strong demand for smartphones, game consoles and 5G-related applications, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.

The figure represented a monthly expansion of 3.1 percent from US$50.03 billion and 9.1 percent from US$47.28 billion a year earlier.

Export orders have continued to trend up this month, likely reaching US$51 billion to US$52.5 billion, the ministry said.

That would represent an annual growth of 14.53 to 17.89 percent from US$44.53 billion in November last year.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/11/19
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) on Thursday (Nov. 19) launched the FinTech Co-Creation Platform to speed up the development of financial technology in the country.

The next phase will be to invite government departments, financial institutions, and international venture capital groups to form an international interdisciplinary review group, the Liberty Times reported.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 20, 2020

ARIZONA PROJECT: A spokeswoman said that TSMC appreciates the support from US authorities, which gives it and its partners confidence about future investments

City officials in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday approved a slate of financial incentives and government support for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) planned US$12 billion chip plant, a step toward bringing high-tech manufacturing to the US and addressing national security concerns over the industry supply chain.

The city agreed to provide about US$200 million to develop roads, sewers and other infrastructure, according to a notice from the city council.

At least one additional set of traffic lights would be included for a cost of approximately US$500,000.The company is conducting due diligence on several locations in Phoenix with a final decision to be made later.    [FULL  STORY]

In Asia, only Singapore and Hong Kong did betterTaiwan News
Date: 2020/11/17
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan was ranked No. 20 out of 63 countries in the latest talent competitiveness list published by the IMD Business School in Switzerland Tuesday (Nov. 17).

The island nation also ranked third in Asia on the list, with Singapore at No. 9 and Hong Kong at No. 14. South Korea followed at No. 31, Japan at No. 38, and China at No. 40, CNA reported.

Small European countries occupied the top three spots, with IMD host Switzerland coming in at No.1 for the fourth year running, ahead of Denmark and Luxembourg.

The National Development Council (NDC) pointed out that Taiwan’s ranking, which is the same as last year, is the best since 2013. For one of the factors contributing to the rankings — attracting and retaining talents — Taiwan jumped 14 spots to No. 34 based on government measures to attract foreign professionals, the NDC said.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 11/17/2020
By: Jiang Ming-yen and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) Taiwanese bookstore chain Eslite said Tuesday that it will open its first outlet in Southeast Asia in 2022, in Malaysia.

The new store, with a floor space of 6,612 square meters, will be set up in The Starhill shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, as part of Eslite's plan to penetrate the Southeast Asian market and also help boost cultural tourism in Malaysia when the COVID-19 pandemic ends, Eslite Chairwoman Mercy Wu (吳旻潔) said at a virtual press conference.

The idea of opening an Eslite outlet in Malaysia was developed after carrying out public opinion polls in that country and holding several meetings with executives of YTL Corp. Bhd., a Malaysian infrastructure conglomerate that owns The Starhill, Wu said.

Joseph Yeoh (楊恭賢), vice president of YTL Hotels & Properties and YTL Land & Development, visited Taiwan in August 2019, while Eslite representatives went to Malaysia in November last year for meetings, Wu said.    [FULL  STORY]

BACK ON TRACK: The outdoor garment maker said its utilization rate could hit 100% next month and revenue could start rising in the second or third quarter of next year

Taipei Times
Date:  Nov 18, 2020
By: Lisa Wang / Staff reporter

Down jacket and outdoor garment maker Quang Viet Enterprise Co (廣越企業) yesterday said it expects revenue to return to growth next year due to recovering customer demand following promising developments of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Factory utilization is picking up and could reach 100 percent next month from an average of 80 percent, as customers have restarted orders withheld earlier this year due to the pandemic and started placing orders for next year, the Neihu District (內湖), Taipei-based company said.

Revenue “will start growing again from the second quarter or the third quarter next year,” Quang Viet president Charles Wu (吳朝筆) told investors at a quarterly conference in Taipei.

“Recent news about vaccine developments is encouraging. People will be more willing to go out to shop, which is good for Quang Viet’s business, if vaccines become available next year,” Wu said.    [FULL  STORY]

THRILLING MOMENT: Chen Chieh-hsien hit a two-run homer, which took the final score to 7-4 and gave the Lions their first Taiwan Series win in seven years

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 09, 2020
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

The Uni-President Lions defeated the CTBC Brothers 7-4 to win the Taiwan Series in Game 7 at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium last night.

The Lions made an improbable comeback after trailing 3-1 in the series, but delivered in the clutch with three straight wins in the pressure-packed CPBL championship finals.

It was a sweet victory for the Lions, as it was seven years since they last won the series, and was their 10th championship title in the franchise’s history.

The result also kept alive a rumor that Taiwanese teams operated by banks and large financial corporations are cursed, as none have ever won a CPBL championship title.   [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 11/09/2020
By: Wu Chia-jung and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's exports in October hit a single-month high of US$32.23 billion, thanks mainly to the launch of new iPhones by Apple Inc., increasing demand for online learning tools and work from home tech devices and peak season sales, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said Monday.

The country's exports for the month posed a higher-than-expected increase of 11.2 percent from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive monthly year-on-year increase, data compiled by the MOF showed.

On a month-to-month basis, October outbound sales also rose 4.9 percent, the data indicated.

In October, the MOF said, Taiwan's imports, however, fell 1.0 percent from a year earlier to US$24.77 billion and the fall in imports boosted the trade surplus by US$3.51 billion from a year earlier to a single-month high of US$7.46 billion in October.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 10, 2020
By: Angelica Oung / Staff reporter

Acer Inc (宏碁) yesterday reported revenue of NT$25.52 billion (US$885.34 million) for last month, up 43.2 percent year-on-year, but down 13.5 percent month-on-month.

A sales breakdown showed that revenue for notebook computers grew by 70.3 percent year-on-year, monitors rose 43.3 percent and gaming products surged by 62 percent, the company said.

“Demand continues to be stronger than supply,” the company said in a press release, crediting continued COVID-19 pandemic-induced demand for laptops and other information and communications technology (ICT) products.

The pandemic has driven strong work-from-home orders this year, boosting the company’s operations as well as shipments of gaming PCs and Chromebooks.    [FULL  STORY]