Focus Taiwan
Date: 06/03/2020
By: Pan Tzu-yu and Frances Huang

Taipei, June 3 (CNA) Singapore-based DBS Bank on Wednesday retained its forecast of a 1 percent contraction of Taiwan's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, DBS said Taiwan's economic development in the second half of the year is likely to remain under the shadow of a deteriorating job market, in which the number of furloughed workers has been increasing, and amid rising tensions between the United States and China.

In its forecast, DBS said that in the second half of the year, businesses in Taiwan that are reliant on domestic demand will see only a moderate rebound due to job losses and decreased income among consumers, despite the outlook that Taiwan will soon lift some of its restrictions pertaining to public gatherings and social distancing.

Some of the businesses hardest hit hardest by COVID-19 have been manufacturers in the old economy sector, retailers, and food/beverage vendors, as the coronavirus outbreak has forced many people to stay home and has sent crude oil prices plunging, the bank said.
[FULL  STORY]

UNCERTAINTY: The wafer and testing services firm is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about its third-quarter outlook, amid concern over COVID-19’s effect on the global economy

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 04, 2020
By: Lisa Wang / Staff reporter

Wafer and chip testing services provider Chunghwa Precision Test Technology Co (中華精測) yesterday reported that revenue last month grew 67.8 percent annually, fueled by rising demand for 5G-related chips, and processors for smartphones and servers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has not stalled the deployment of 5G, Chunghwa Precision has “a cautiously optimistic view about the outlook for the third quarter,” it said in a statement.

The improving COVID-19 situation and the escalating 5G race between China and the US have also helped bolster demand for its wafer testing services and vertical probe card (VPC) business, it said.

For the full year, Chunghwa Precision expects 5G applications and base stations to fuel demand for wafer testing services, given the complexity of 5G chips.     [FULL  STORY]

Joint exhibition of TaipeiPLAS and ShoeTech Taipei has been postponed indefinitely

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/06/02
By: Sylvia Teng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan External Trade Development Council, TAITRA, announced on Tuesday (June 2) that it was postponing a machinery trade show in Taipei originally scheduled for September.

The joint exhibition of TaipeiPLAS, dedicated to plastic and rubber industries, and ShoeTech Taipei, which focuses on shoe-making equipment, has been postponed over coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.

Taiwan's machinery industry, which relies heavily on exports, has been impacted due to the pandemic, TAITRA said in a statement. Taiwan’s machinery industry generated approximately NT$1.1 trillion (US$36.4 billion) in sales in 2019.

In response, TAITRA has launched a number of online events, such as virtual trade shows, international conferences, and promotional events. The organization also said it set up product launch events and meetings with potential buyers.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 06/02/2020
By: Jeffrey Wu and Frances Huang

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) At a time when the government has lifted a ban on the sale and exporting of domestic surgical masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic, online vendors such as momo, PChome and Yahoo Kimo will start to sell face masks on the Taiwan market Wednesday.

The move by e-commerce operators to provide face masks follows physical retailers, who have been selling the products since Monday, when the supplies were sold out soon after being put on the shelves.

momo said the first batch of face masks manufactured by renowned medical equipment supplier China Surgical Dressings Center Co. (CSD) will go on sale at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The first supply, which will be available in pink, deep blue, red and black, will be comprised of 50-piece flat mask boxes priced at NT$300 each (US$10), or NT$6 per piece, while 50-piece boxes of 3D masks will also be available, carrying a price tag of NT$499, or NT$9.98 per piece, momo said, adding that its members will be allowed to buy just one box per order.
[FULL  STORY]

BULK PURCHASE: The French chain and Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm International reached a deal covering 224 stores, which is expected to be finalized by year’s end

Taipei Times
Date: Jun 03, 2020
By: Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporter

Carrefour SA yesterday announced it would acquire Wellcome Taiwan Co (惠康百貨) for 97 million euros (US$108.33 million), and bring all the Wellcome supermarkets (頂好超市) and Jasons Market Place stores nationwide under its banner within 12 months of the deal closing.

The France-based hypermarket chain reached an agreement with Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm International Holdings (牛奶國際控股), the pan-Asian retailer that launched Wellcome Taiwan in 1987.

The transaction involves 199 Wellcome supermarkets, which have average sales areas of 420m2 and 25 high-end Jasons Market Place stores, which have an average sales area of 820m2, as well as a warehouse in Taoyuan, Carrefour Taiwan (家樂福) said in a statement.

Carrefour Taiwan would continue to run the 224 stores it is gaining under the deal, but would consider whether to adjust their locations as their leases mature, a Carrefour Taiwan official told the Taipei Times by telephone.    [FULL  STORY]

i Download Blog
Date: June 1, 2020
By: Christian Zibreg 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s leading chip foundry that counts Apple as its #1 client, is investing a cool $12 billion in a manufacturing plant based in Arizona, its second US facility. Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée in his Monday Note column analyzes the repercussion of the move and potential problems that it may solve.

In his piece published yesterday, titled “$12B TSMC US Plant: What Problem Does It Solve?”, Jean-Louis argues that TSMC’s announcement comes at an auspicious time and could trigger new speculation about “Made in USA” iPhones.

But first, a little backgrounder…    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 06/01/2020
By: Yang Shu-ching and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, June 1 (CNA) State-run oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan announced Monday it is cutting the prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this month by 10.24 percent on a monthly basis.

Starting midnight Monday, the prices of LNG products will drop by 10.24 percent on average, representing a fall for the third consecutive month.    [FULL  STORY]