Mid-East Procurement Groups to Visit Taiwan Next Year

Taipei, Nov. 12, 2012 (CENS)--iwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) lately inked a trade cooperation agreement with the Arab Business Club (ABC) which promised to organize three to four procurement groups to visit Taiwan starting April 2013.

ABC was founded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2008 to help business dealings between the Arabic nations and the world. The proposed buyer groups will reportedly purchase in Taiwan mainly auto parts, electronic parts, LED, and solar energy items. The ABC also intends to help Mid-East countries explore markets in the Asia-Pacific via Taiwan.

Walter Yeh, executive vice president of TAITRA, indicated that early this month he led a group of delegates from TAITRA and Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association to visit Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two large cities in UAE, to promote Taiwan products and also invite trade promoters in the country to organize groups to participate in trade exhibitions in Taiwan.

In the first 10 months Taiwan's foreign trade value reached US$26.525 billion, down 1.9% YoY, with negative growth in exports to Europe and the U.S., but a slight rise of US$3 million or NT$90 million to China.

TAITRA will organize three trade promotional groups to emerging markets this month and may focus next year on Africa and India.

In 2011 Taiwan's exports to the U.S. accounted for 11.8% of the total, 9.3% to the E.U. and 5.9% to Japan, with 25% going to the emerging markets.