ELECTRIC FARMLAND: TSMC’s proposal to clear 230 hectares of reforested land for what would become Taiwan’s largest photovoltaic solar farm has generated concerns

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 14, 2020
By: Angelica Oung / Staff reporter

New rules curbing solar farms built on agricultural land sparked fierce debate at a packed public hearing at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, with industry representatives saying that the new restrictions would endanger President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) green energy goals, while agricultural officials emphasized the importance of protecting farmers and the environment.

The Tsai administration has set a target to generate 20 percent of the nation’s power from renewable sources by 2025, by which time it also aims to install 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, including 6GW from rooftop solar systems and 14GW from ground-mounted solar farms.

Although rooftop solar systems are not controversial, a proposal by contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to clear 230 hectares of reforested land in Pingtung County to build Taiwan’s largest photovoltaic solar farm has raised concerns from local residents and environmental activists.

The Council of Agriculture amended the regulations governing the land use approval process on Tuesday last week to ban solar farms built on designated agricultural or aquaculture areas and tighten rules for solar farms built on all farmland.    [FULL  STORY]

88.9% of all households in Taiwan bought an I-Mei product last yearTaiwan News
Date: 2020/07/10
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese bought 86 million products from I-Mei Foods Co. last year, making it the No.1 company for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), according to the Kantar Brand Footprint 2020 report published Thursday (July 9).

The figure meant that an estimated 7.7 million households, or 88.9 percent of the total, bought an I-Mei product at least once.

The survey covered 1.5 billion consumption decisions over the past year and found that the 7.7 million households had on average taken an I-Mei product home 10.1 times, with its dairy and soy drinks leading the way. The company has maintained a positive reputation for quality even while part of the Taiwanese food sector came under close scrutiny during food safety scandals in 2013-2014.

Other brands on the FMCG list included Kuang Chuan at No.2 with 61 million purchases by 6.65 million households and FreshDelight at No. 3 with 46 million purchases by 5.85 million households.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/10/2020
By: Frances Huang

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) Shares in Taiwan closed lower after a quick start as the electronics sector came under pressure, hurt by smartphone camera lens supplier Largan Precision Co.'s disappointing second quarter results and third quarter guidance, dealers said.

Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the most heavily weighted stock in the local market, limited the downturn by posting gains on an otherwise bad day for tech stocks.

The weighted index on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), the Taiex, ended down 119.01 points, or 0.98 percent, at 12,073.68, after moving between 12,030.20 and 12,253.58. Turnover was NT$258.2 billion (US$8.74 billion).

The market opened up 0.47 percent and hit the day's high in the first two minutes of trading before selling in the tech sector set in and spread to old economy stocks, in particular in the petrochemical sector, dealers said.    [FULL  STORY]

MOMENTUM: Global lockdowns combined with a seasonal uptick in demand for TVs, smartphones and game consoles would see Q3 DRAM shipments at least remain flat

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 11, 2020
By: Lisa Wang / Staff reporter

Chipmaker Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) yesterday said that its net profit surged to the highest level in five quarters last quarter, as work-from-home and remote learning helped buoy demand for DRAM chips used in PCs and servers.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company’s growth momentum is expected to extend into this quarter, it said.

Combined with a seasonal uptick in demand for smartphones, TVs and game consoles, DRAM prices and shipments are forecast to at least remain flat this quarter, compared with last quarter, it added.

“We have seen demand for smartphones and certain consumer electronics show clear seasonal effects in the third quarter,” Nanya Technology president Lee Pei-ing (李培瑛) told a media briefing in New Taipei City.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/09/2020
By: Chang Chien-chung and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Taiwanese contract chipmakers United Microelectronics (UMC) and Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp. (VIS) on Thursday reported record high revenue for the second quarter of this year.

In a sales report, UMC said its second-quarter revenue hit a record high of NT$44.39 billion (US$1.51 billion) in its history, a sequential increase of 5.01 percent, although its revenue for June had dropped 1.11 percent from a month earlier to NT$14.58 billion, which was the lowest level in three months.

Strong demand for computer peripherals and consumer electronics helped drive UMC's wafer shipments in the second quarter, while an increase in the average selling price of those products helped boost its revenue, according to the report.

Meanwhile, VIS said its second-quarter sales climbed 4.88 percent sequentially to NT$8.23 billion, well within its target of NT$8 billion to NT$8.4 billion, and also a record quarterly high in the company's history.    [FULL  STORY]

LOW DEMAND: Although the company last month posted positive revenue growth, ending two months of declines, customer demand remains down, Largan’s CEO said

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

Largan Precision Co (大立光), the nation’s leading handset camera lens manufacturer, yesterday posted a 25.77 percent quarterly decline in net profit for last quarter to NT$4.99 billion (US$168.7 million), reaching its weakest level in nine quarters due to sagging demand.

Largan in the first quarter made NT$6.72 billion in net profit, the company said.

Earnings per share in the last quarter dropped to NT$37.19 from NT$50.1 in the previous quarter.

The Taichung-based company yesterday also booked a nonoperating loss of NT$536.42 million for the last quarter, reversing a nonoperating income of NT$414.64 million in the first quarter.
[FULL  STORY]

Intertwined semiconductor supply chains with US, China a risk for Taiwan

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/07/08
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer\

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s tech sector is well-positioned in the world post-coronavirus, but challenges lie ahead in terms of its reliance on both the U.S and China, according to an economist at Singapore-based DBS Bank.

Ma Tieying (馬鐵英), a DBS economist, noted in a report published on Tuesday (July 7) that COVID-19 is likely to further push tech innovation in an era characterized by AI, IoT, and 5G technologies, and that Taiwan is set to benefit from the numerous opportunities.

Reasons she cited include the country’s integrated semiconductor supply chain and the fact that it is a hub for wafer fabrication and boasts integrated circuit (IC) packaging and testing prowess. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and South Korea’s Samsung are the only two in the world that have the capacity to produce chips using 5-nanometer (nm) nodes, with both eyeing the more advanced 3nm by the mid-2020s, she added.

Challenges remain, though, stemming from heightened nationalism and protectionism, manifested by U.S.-China tech tensions. Taiwan is exposed to a heavy reliance on the U.S. for upstream IC design and semiconductor manufacturing materials and equipment, and Washington’s many moves to target Chinese companies could create collateral damage for the country.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus T&aiwan
Date: 07/08/2020
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, July 8 (CNA) Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was ranked fourth "best airport for layovers" in the Leisure Lifestyle Award hosted by Global Traveler magazine, the airport management company said Wednesday.

The airport stood out because of friendly transit directions, tight schedule arrangements, interesting waiting room designs and the fact that it takes no more than three hours on average to connect to other major Asian cities, said Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Co. (TIAC).

It was a morale-boost for the company as the survey of readers from Oct. 1, 2019, to Jan. 31, 2020, left open-ended comments, said TIAC CEO Lin Hsiang-sheng (林祥生).

It means candidates must make a profound impression for respondents to leave a comment, he said.    [FULL  STORY]