Taiwan Ranks Third as Exporter of Woodwork Machinery

Taipei, Jan. 23, 2008 (CENS)-Taiwan's exports of woodworking machinery are expected to reach US$800 million in 2007 when all tallies are in, representing a 7% year-on-year growth and standing as the world's third-largest exporter of the product, behind only Germany and Italy, according to statistics compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

Based on the latest statistics conducted by the Directorate General of Customs under the Ministry of Finance, Taiwan exported US$660 million worth of woodworking machinery in the first 10 months of 2007, up 6.7% year-on-year.

The anticipated growth in exports of woodworking machinery is based on the increased procurement from European nations in the wake of the consistent appreciation of the European unified currency-euro.

The TAMI noted Taiwan exported US$750 million worth of woodworking machinery in 2006, down 6% from the year earlier.

The TAMI's tallies showed that Germany saw a 70% year-on-year growth in procurement of Taiwan-made woodworking machinery in the first 10 months of 2007, followed by Finland with a 48% growth, the Netherlands 37%, United Kingdom 27%, and Italy 20%.

Gary Wang, section director of the TAMI, says that Taiwan holds competitive edge globally in terms of its capacity to develop and produce semi-automated and manual-operated woodworking machinery. But Taiwan still lags behind Germany and Italy in the fields of fully automated and unmanned factory equipment in the woodworking machinery industry.

Wang stressed Taiwan has competitive edge over mainland China in sales of woodworking machinery because of better product quality and after-sale services, although mainland-made woodworking machinery is priced only half that of domestically one.

Bill Hung, chairman of Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association, the price hike in raw materials and the U.S. subprime home loan issue would adversely affect U.S. consumption of furniture, which will indirectly impact Taiwan's exports of woodworking machinery to such furniture-manufacturing sites as mainland China and Southeast Asia. Accordingly, Hung calls for domestic manufacturers of woodworking machinery to take action to prevent sales decline this year.