China to Account for 24.5% of All Large-sized TFT-LCD Production in 2015: WitsView

With the added capacity from their new fifth-generation (5G) and -beyond production lines, Chinese manufacturers are expected to produce about 24.5% of the world's thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in 2015, up from only 13.8% in 2013, according to the WitsView Technology Corp., a Taiwan-based LCD market research firm.

WitsView also said that Taiwan is expected to account for 28.1% of global TFT-LCD production in 2015, down from 32.1% in 2013 and a projected 30.1% in 2014.

According to the market research company's latest report on large-sized TFT-LCDs, there was no major capacity expansion by global suppliers in 2013 due mainly to weak demand panels larger than 10 inches. Most panel makers utilized 5G or 6G production lines to turn out products of a high technical level, such as low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) TFT-LCDs or small- and medium-sized panels and touch sensors. As a result, global production capacity for large-sized panels shrank 2.1% in 2013, to about 195 million square meters.

In 2014, Korea's Samsung and LG, and China's BOE Technology, will each inaugurate a new 8.5G line in China, elevating global production capacity for large-sized panels by 3.8% to about 202 million square meters.

The research firm added that global production of large-sized panels at 5G lines has been decreasing in recent years, including an 11.6% drop in 2013, and that the resulting spare capacity is being utilized to turn out more profitable small- and medium-sized panels for which there has been strong demand due to the increasing popularity of portable smart devices and tablets. This trend will become increasingly clear after the new 8.5G lines come on line.

In 2015, WitsView continued, there will be eight 8.5G lines operating in China, boosting China's beyond-5G large-sized panel production to 24.5% of the global total.

The rapid rise of large-sized panel suppliers in China is expected to have a heavy impact on Taiwanese companies, the research firm said, because the resulting excessive supply will drive panel prices down and strengthen the global competitiveness of lower-cost Chinese suppliers. Additionally, the Chinese government reportedly plans to hike its import tariff on TFT-LCD panels to support its own companies.