SMART DEVELOPMENTS:Developing the IoT should be companies’ focus, as PC and smartphone development slows and the ‘smart’ industry grows, the TCA head said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 15, 2016
By: Lauly Li / Staff reporter

Taiwanese vendors and manufacturers are expected to face a more volatile currency market, and end market changes in Europe and the US in the next three years, due to rising trade protectionism, Pegatron Corp (和碩) chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) said yesterday.

“The political and economic dynamics are likely to affect market demand and industry development in Europe and the US in the next one to three years. Taiwanese companies need to prepare for that,” Tung told reporters after he was elected the Taipei Computer Association (TCA, 台北市電腦公會) chairman for a second term.

The UK’s vote in June to leave the EU, Donald Trump’s surprise win in the US presidential election and Italy’s recent referendum on constitutional reform all increased uncertainties to business activities and caused currency fluctuations, Tung said.

In response to the weakening British pound after Brexit, Taiwanese PC vendors Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) increased the retail prices of its PC products by 9 percent in the UK from October, while Acer Inc (宏碁) followed suit, the companies said.    [FULL  STORY]