Left with just 15 diplomatic allies, Taiwan now looks to safeguard its most vital remaining relationships while strengthening unofficial ties with key democracies. Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, China has stepped up efforts to curtail Taiwan’s international space. Luring away Taiwan’s diplomatic allies has been integral to this campaign. In September,…
The semiconductor industry’s concentration at home provides it with some insulation from the direct effects of the U.S.-China trade war. Taiwan’s crucial semiconductor industry is set to grow 5% in 2020 on the back of rising demand for artificial intelligence applications and 5G telecommunications infrastructure. Overall industry output value is expected to reach NT$2.8 trillion…
Next year, Taiwan’s economy will benefit from a steady flow of capital repatriation as local manufacturers move capacity home from China. Momentum from Taiwanese businesses returning from China should help Taiwan reach a GDP growth rate of 2.3% to 2.6% in 2020, compared to about 2.4% this year, economists say. In addition, growth in trade…
The burgeoning cruise market has raised Taiwan’s profile in the travel sector and revitalized the port of Keelung. Taiwan’s northeastern port city of Keelung was once dubiously known for two unflattering distinctions: the country’s highest suicide rate and weather even gloomier than Taipei’s. A dozen years ago it seemed like a place that time had…
Beijing’s latest weaponization of tourism illustrates the risk of relying on the mercurial China market Taiwan’s hospitality sector could contract this year following Beijing’s decision to sharply curtail the flow of visitors from China, reversing many years of steady inbound tourism growth. Over the past decade or so, Chinese tourism has benefited Taiwan considerably. Before…
Chemical manufacturers in Taiwan are concerned that new rules requiring the disclosure of hazardous substances in their products could compromise confidential business information (CBI). In November 2018, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) published an amendment to the Regulations for the Labeling and Hazard Communication of Hazardous Chemicals that requires disclosure of the substance’s Chemical Abstract…
Despite global economic headwinds, some makers in the sub-sector are continuing to perform well. Taiwan has been steadily moving into specialty chemicals in a bid to move up the global industry value chain. Specialty chemicals are sold based on their function or performance instead of composition. They often are designed to impact one specific aspect…
Given environmental pressures and limited scale, the sector sees just two options: move into specialty chemicals or invest overseas. Despite environmental and other challenges, Taiwan’s chemical sector continues to thrive. In 2018, the industry was forecast to grow by 4.88% – the highest growth rate of any industry in Taiwan – to reach NT$4.68 trillion…
The state-owned company looks to invest in high-value-added chemicals and green projects at home while exploring upstream opportunities overseas. The CPC Corp. was established in Shanghai as the Chinese Petroleum Corp. in 1946 and relocated to Taiwan three years later. The state-owned firm plays a crucial role in ensuring Taiwan’s energy security, and is also…
Amended transportation regulations could cripple the ride-hailing giant’s Taiwan business, sending a worrying message about the investment climate. Uber has struggled in East Asia. The San Francisco-based ride-hailing giant burned through billions of dollars battling China’s Didi Chuxing before bowing out of the Chinese market in 2016. It never gained a foothold in Japan or…
