May 22 2013

[Industry News]-Taiwan’s Auto Repair Tool Makers to Prove Themselves at 2013 TAIPEI AMPA

Taipei AMPA 2013

Suppliers can match Japanese quality but with more cost efficiency

Living up to Taiwan’s reputation of “Kingdom of Hand Tools,” local suppliers of auto repair tools and equipment are increasingly known for long-term dedication to R&D and branding. Such strategies, coupled with unwillingness to compromise competing against emerging rivals and realizing the danger of market erosion due to underselling, most Taiwanese suppliers are trying to move upmarket to take on and replace once-stronger counterparts especially from Japan and Europe.

Evidence of this trend has been easy to find at major international auto-parts shows, where Taiwanese repair-tool makers have been showing up in higher numbers than Japanese and European players, especially in the past few years.

Among Taiwanese companies big and small, the verdict is the same: Japanese counterparts are losing shares in the higher-level professional repair-tool market. Made-in-Japan auto tools are well-known for quality, durability, precision, and functionality, which Taiwanese players are matching but backed with more competitive prices.

The majority of Taiwanese auto repair tool and equipment companies will showcase innovative, functional products for professional markets and even-higher industrial applications at the upcoming 2013 Taipei AMPA. This steady rise in the industry value chain is the result of long-term investment in upgrading product quality and functionality to meet the most stringent requirements of production lines in various industries.

Core Advantages

Since the global meltdown in 2008 and resulting weaker consumer confidence, the global performance-tuning auto-parts market has sagged, which is exasperated by automakers trying to spice up product competitiveness with enhanced engine output and exterior styling. High fuel prices, unemployment in the USA and EU and uncertain prospects have all impacted yearning to spend on faster, fancier cars.

However, many Taiwanese tuning-parts suppliers have done well due to several reasons. A local supplier points out: “American, European, and Japanese customers have increasingly returned to us after experiencing unpleasantness and frustrations in doing business with Chinese companies. Taiwanese tuning-parts suppliers’ core advantages include being accountable for product quality and creditworthiness. With high product reliability, tactile sense, satisfactory service, and on-time delivery, we can retain competitiveness in the global high-end market despite the lull in the global market.”

In many cases, shipments of high-end Taiwan-made performance parts have grown rapidly over the past few years, implying that quality and functionality, not low prices, are top priorities in the performance-parts market. Such experience tells global buyers that the quality of Taiwan-made performance parts is unmatched by Chinese counterparts; in addition, local manufacturers constantly upgrade innovation capabilities and production techniques to maintain their lead.

EV Taiwan 2013

(Source:www.taipeiampa.com.tw)

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May 20 2013

[Industry News]-Taiwan’s auto industry output forecast to grow 6.3% in Q2

Taipei AMPA 2013

The production value of Taiwan’s auto industry is expected to rebound in the second quarter, driven by the launch of new models and more promotional campaigns, according to a local research center.

The output of the local auto sector is likely to total NT$47.09 billion (US$1.57 billion) in the second quarter, up 6.3 percent from the previous three months, the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Research Center (IEK) forecast in a May 17 report.

The sector is expected to benefit from the launch of new vehicle models and extended promotions announced by automakers in the first quarter, which will boost consumer buying, the government-funded institute said.

In the January-March period of this year, the output of Taiwan’s auto industry declined 8.7 percent from a quarter earlier to NT$44.3 billion because of a reduced number of working days and delayed buying due to concerns over a falling yen, the research center said.

In fact, some local sales agents for Japanese automakers have canceled their plans to raise prices in reflection of the yen’s decline, while some auto vendors have cut prices in the local market by 3-6 percent since the beginning of March, according to the institute.

Taiwan Auto Industry

For the whole of 2013, the production value of the local auto industry is expected to total NT$189.27 billion, up 1.6 percent from 2012, the IEK said, lowering its forecast from 1.7 percent growth estimated in February.

In the auto parts segment, output for 2013 is likely to grow by an annual 6.5 percent to NT$209.29 billion, in reflection of recovering demand in the United States, Japan and Europe, the research center said.

Taiwan’s auto sales in April totaled 28,844 units, up 5 percent from March and 0.8 percent from a year earlier, according to government statistics.

In the first four months of this year, however, local auto sales declined 4.2 percent year-on-year to 119,131 units due to weak buying, the data showed.

(By Jeffrey Wu)
ENDITEM /pc

(Source:focustaiwan.tw)

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May 15 2013

[Trade Shows]-Biz at top trade shows on two-wheel & four-wheel topped US$100 million:TAIWAN MOTORCYCLE & EV TAIWAN

Motorcycle Taiwan 2013

Taipei, April 13, 2013: Anyone at the twin vehicle shows in Taipei would have a hard time believing that the world is in recession. In fact with all-round records in participants, booths, visitors and business there was the clearest feeling that things were back to full throttle

The two shows, The 8^th Taiwan International Motorcycle Show and the 3^rd Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show wrapped up April 13^th after jointly hosting a record 250 exhibitors who used a record 600 booths. EV Taiwan fielded 113 exhibitors, a growth of 24%, who used 298 booths, a growth of 4.7% on the previous year.

The twin shows jointly attracted 1,928 foreign visitors and buyers, a growth of 76% compared to the previous year. A total of 8,199 domestic visitors were at the exhibitions, 15% more than the previous year.

Most notable was the robust turnout from the top ten visiting countries, namely Japan, China, the U.S.A., Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. In addition, other visiting buyers came from Australia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Canada and Germany.

Double track events link world suppliers and makers of 2-wheel & 4-wheels
Many vendors expanded their product displays and exhibition layouts for better chances to hit it big on the global supply chain by catching the eye of foreign buyers. Famous domestic manufacturers, including Dinli, NCY, Yih Jing, Che Liwu, Luxgen, Honlin, Simplo, RAC, and Chroma exhibited near foreign manufacturers and exhibitors from China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. This massive choice of source and product proved a winning strength in winning the hearts of foreign buyers.

Snapshot in Motorcycle Taiwan 2013

1-on-1 Procurement Meets sign deals for US$ 2.9 Million
The one-on-one procurement meetings for Taiwan Motorcycle and EV Taiwan hosted eight key buyers from 6 countries who met 16 exhibitors in 26 meetings. There talks generated business worth an estimated US$2.9mn and a projected US$100mn in follow-up business trade.

The list of buyers at Taiwan Motorcycle coming from firms which each had p/a turnover exceeding US$10mn included the China division of HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO, Japan-based PARTS DIRECT, Japan’s ATLAS CO., U.S. based TUCKER ROCKY, Italy’s RMS SPA and the Belarusian firms CJSC MOTORCYCLE CO and MINSK-MOTO” MOTOVELO CORP.

Important buyers at EV Taiwan included German SWARCO STS, German MOVEO ZRT, Dutch SPIJKSTAAL ELEKTRO BV, Hungarian MOVEO ZRT, and American MASTER ELECTRONICS CORP. Due to high product quality and price advantageous, Taiwan once again proved its ability to attract renowned international buyers.

3^rd EV Taiwan draws the eyes of global buyers
Tracing the trends with a full slate of forums & seminars
To fully brief Taiwan producer on the latest EV tech and trends the organizer, TAITRA held the 2013 Simulation and Control Application Seminar for Electrical Vehicles, the EV Taiwan Forum and the EV Market Trends Seminar. Those at the talks heard key experts from the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the U.S. CAR R&D Center, the British Zero Carbon Futures, French BatScap and German Infineon.

Their talks profiled developments in the industry, innovative battery technology, kinetic energy systems and semiconductor solutions. These three days of meetings were packed with those from more than 700 key businesses and research institutions.

Snapshot in Motorcycle Taiwan 2013

Buyers attracted to EV Test Rides and free EV Bus Shuttles
Visitors at the show got first-hand experience with a choice of 46 different EVs at the outdoor and indoor test drive areas. Demonstrator models included the latest four-wheel EVs, two/three-wheel electric bicycles and hybrid motorcycles.

The test areas, stocked from 23 famous domestic EV makers, welcomed 1,353 visitors to take a test spin. Future business is expected to soar after many buyers express delight at the new products. But possibly the most important item for Asian cities was the 40-seat electric bus shuttle services provided by (exhibitor) RAC. Others got a passenger ride in the Toyota Prius PHV provided by Hotai. The blissful thought of plugging in for zero emission travel delighted many.

EV Taiwan wins praise on its road to become the top EV trade show
Buyers and the press from home and abroad offered top marks for these twin B2B shows for their professional format, useful forums and flexible services. Visitors, from both industry and the media noted that the 3rd EV Taiwan was already ahead of the electric vehicle exhibitions held in several other countries.

This four-day endeavor underscored Taiwan’s strengths in both motorcycles and electric vehicles and build a solid base for the next Taiwan Motorcycle and EV Taiwan coming next April 9th to 12th, 2014. Even greater prospects will be created since they are scheduled to run in conjunction with Taipei AMPA and AutoTronics Taipei.

Snapshot in Motorcycle Taiwan 2013

For updates and details, click:
www.MotorcycleTaiwan.com.tw
www.EVTaiwan.com.tw.

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May 8 2013

[Trade Shows]-First 4-in-1 Exhibition, Setting Records for Exhibition Scale, Number of Visiting Buyers

AMPA 2013

【Taipei, Taiwan, April 13, 2013】”The 29th Taipei Int’l Auto Parts & Accessories Show, 8th Taipei International Automobile Electronics Show, 8th Taiwan International Motorcycle Show, and 3rd Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show came to a successful conclusion on April 13th 2013. The four-day exhibition attracted a total of 65,000 domestic and overseas business visitors. This was the first time four exhibitions were held jointly, the only combined transaction platform for four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles in Asia. It set a total of three records this year, the first being a total of 1,350 exhibitors in 3,630 booths, a record scale; the second being a total of 6,813 international buyers from 130 nations attending the exhibition, setting a new record for visiting buyers for these four exhibitions combined; the third is that the business opportunities which arose on site and from subsequent purchases may be worth upwards of $1.3 billion USD, making the exhibition the most diverse one-stop Asian car and motorcycle B2B exhibition for buyers, with the most purchasing business opportunities.

The top 10 buyer nations were Japan, China, America, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, of which five are ASEAN nations. This demonstrates the marked achievement the organizer has made through active efforts to contact buyers in emerging markets. According to exhibitors, there was a clear improvement in both the quality and quantity of foreign buyers at this year’s exhibition. The atmosphere of business conversations at the exhibition was lively. In addition to main export markets for Taiwanese automobile parts such as the US, Europe, and Japan, there were also many representatives from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and other rapidly growing regions. Exquisite buyer services provided by the organizer, such as a shuttle service between halls, AMPA happy buyers’ bar, and Formosa oolong tea gift boxes for international buyers resulted in a high degree of satisfaction with this year’s exhibition for both exhibitors and visiting buyers. A number of exhibitors inquired about registration for next year’s exhibition and promised to meet foreign buyers in Taipei again next year.

AMPA 2013

Participation of Indicative Suppliers at Asia’s Most Professional Two-and-Four Wheeled Occasion

Economic regeneration was apparent throughout this year’s exhibition. Not only did exhibitors expand the scale of their exhibitions, they went to great lengths in booth décor. Indicative domestic automobile accessory and electronics show exhibitors included the Tong Yang, DEPO, TYC, Eagle Eyes, Sonar, Sirius Light, Just Auto, Tung Thih, E-lead, Whetron, etc. Limited edition sports cars and showgirls showcased various car accessories and products, drawing the attention of many buyers. Companies also went all out for the motorcycle and electric vehicle exhibitions, which saw the participation of renowned domestic companies such as Dinli, Chian Yie, Yih Jing, Frando, Luxgen, Honlin, Simplo, RAC, Chroma, etc. The electric SUV that Luxgen exhibited and the newest mid-sized electric bus from RAC attracted considerable attention from foreign buyers.

Heavyweight Buyers All Gather to Issue Fervent Orders

The joining of these four exhibitions this year presented the automobile and motorcycle supply chain in its entirety. The association’s 57 locations overseas and MOEA units stationed abroad worked actively to contact 131 buyers with more than $10 million USD in annual revenue to make purchases in Taiwan. This included seven heavyweight buyers with more than $1 billion USD in annual revenue, such as the renowned German car manufacturer Audi, the Chinese branch of Italian company Fiat, the second largest automobile parts distributor in the US Advance Auto Parts, the third largest automobile part supplier in the world Magna China, renowned automobile part distributor in Oman Saud Bahwan Automotive, indicative Italian automobile accessory company QLT, and Bulgarian business vehicle purchaser SFK-Truck. In addition, indicative buyers at the motorcycle exhibition included Harley Davidson Motor Company China, Japan’s Parts Direct, Japan’s Atlas Co., Ltd., US Tucker Rocky, Italian RMS SPA, heavyweight electric vehicle buyer Swarco STS, German Moveo ZRT, Dutch Spijkstall Elektro BV, Hungarian Moveo ZRT, and US Master Electronics Corp. This is clear evidence that the outstanding quality and price advantage of Taiwanese products have made them the first choice for professional international buyers intending to make purchases.

The 1-on-1 Joint Conference held on April 11th invited 34 foreign buyers and 96 domestic suppliers to carry out 176 meetings, creating $8.5 million USD in purchasing business opportunities. Projections indicate that with the addition of subsequent business opportunities, the overall business opportunities that the four exhibitions facilitated will approach $1.3 billion USD.

AMPA 2013 Snapshot

Major International Forum Provides Plethora of Knowledge Test Drive Event Draws Queues of Domestic and Foreign Buyers

For the 2013 Taipei Int’l Auto Parts & Accessories Show & Auto Electronics Forum, high-level supervisors from major companies such as STMicroelectronics, Audi Infotainment Tech Center, Qiming Information, Infineon, Garmin Corp, and HAITEC were invited to share their thoughts on industry trends with more than 400 domestic and foreign industry, governmental, and academic representatives. In addition, the Electric Vehicle International Summit and Electric Vehicles Industry Development Symposium were hosted, attracting more than 700 authoritative experts and related research organization representatives to take part as audience members over three days. Internationally renowned speakers and high-level supervisors from the US’ CAR Center, the UK’s Zero Carbon Futures, France’s BatScap, Fukuta Elec. & Mach. Co., and Luxgen shared their experiences, technologies, and future industrial trends. It was mentioned during the forum that the government and companies are actively investing in the development of electric vehicles. A total of 414 electric vehicles are now available for rental by the general public in Taiwan, with 386 AC charging stations. In the future, an additional 311 battery charging stations will be implemented to fulfill drivers’ vehicle charging needs. In addition, the implementation of electric buses has garnered much attention from the government. In order to reduce a significant quantity of CO2 emission volume, it has been planned for electric buses to replace traditional buses that utilize internal combustion engines in order to realize the ideal of zero carbon emissions transportation in the future.

In order for domestic and foreign visitors to experience the traits of various electric automobiles and motorcycles in one location, the organizer set up designated outdoor and indoor areas from April 10th to 13th, offering test drives of various electric vehicles with innovative appearances and unique functionality. This encompassed a total of 46 vehicle models including four-wheeled electric cars, two-wheeled electric bicycles, hybrid motorcycles, and more. A total of 23 well-known Taiwanese electric vehicle companies signed up for the event, which allowed more than 1,353 domestic and foreign visitors to experience the allure of electric vehicles on site. The event received considerable attention at the exhibition, and those who went on test drives stated that the experience opened up new horizons for them.

2014 Linked Shows between Taipei and Kaohsiung Create Synergistic Exhibition Effect

The 2014 Taipei Int’l Auto Parts & Accessories Show, Taipei International Automobile Electronics Show, Taiwan International Motorcycle Show, and Taiwan International Electric Vehicle Show will be held from April 9th to 12th next year at the Nangang Exhibition Hall and TWTC Exhibition Hall 1. The exhibition will also be linked to the 2014 Taiwan International Fastener Show at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center from April 14th to 15th. As the exhibitions above are highly linked within the industries, this will increase exhibition efficacy and inspire waves of buyers to visit Taiwan. Please visit the official websites for each exhibition for more information on the respective exhibitions.