Hardware, fasteners, and hand tools sectors are among the top exporters in Taiwan, delivering quality products to various global markets promptly thanks to their competitive edge of operating under an industry hub model. Managing lead times and delivery expectations have become crucial under disrupted supply chains. Prices for raw materials and energy have risen as prolonged global events like...

With the National Development Council (NDC) releasing its 2050 Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Roadmap on Thursday, steel metal providers outlined the potential challenges in the industry under the carbon-neutral era. Steel metal providers pointed out that while it is relatively easier to slash carbon emissions, going neutral is "revolutionary," stressing that it is an inevitable trend. With the in...

Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) announced the November manufacturing index on Thursday, signaling that the overall index rose by 0.14 points from 15.14 points revised last month to 15.28 points in November. The index signal, representing the state of the manufacturing index, has remained in the green index for two consecutive months now. The application of emerging technologies an...

With batteries used to power electric vehicles becoming an absolute necessity, raw metal materials in 2021 have seen a sharp rise in demand, and the trend is expected to continue in 2022. However, this will result in higher costs for automotive brands, prolonging the adoption of EVs, commonly touted as a crucial tool in fighting climate change. Just as the world is quickly adapting to the gree...

The Statistics Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Thursday that the industrial production index for November was marked at 137.86, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%; the manufacturing production index for November was 141.16, a single-month high in the past year, with a year-on-year increase of 13.1%, and both marked a 22 consecutive-month expansion. The department estimat...

China Steel Corporation (CSC) is forecasted to drop an average of 2.15% in new market prices next year. Due to the decline in the previous wave of price fluctuation on the coal and iron ore market, low-grade raw material costs have begun to roll into the production line. As a result, CSC has yet to see its profits impacted by the steel price cuts. CSC closed at NTD$35.8 yesterday, down 0.05 y...

As the newest highlighted COVID-19 variant of concern, Omicron has the European region and the U.S. on high alert. In response to potential worsened snags in the global ports, the media has reported Taiwan's top four major container carriers and shipping companies -- Evergreen Marine, Yangming, Wan Hai, and T.S. Lines -- pledging to do their best in prioritizing shipping space of domestic indust...

China Steel Chairman Weng Chao-dong said today that the bullish trend in the steel market would continue unimpeded and cited an optimistic outlook for next year. Due to other factors such as added costs from environmental issues, steel production, and shipping delays, the forwarded costs are expected to continue for another two years. The national steel maker's earning call was held on Wednesd...

The Statistics Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced today (22) that the value of export orders in October closed at US$59.10 billion, a record high in the same month of the previous year, an annual increase of 14.6%, and marked a 20-month consecutive run. The department estimates that the value of export orders in November would be between USD$59 billion and USD$60.5 billio...

Construction demand is at an all-time high, even amid rising prices and shortages of materials. The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics under the Executive Yuan released its latest statistics on Friday, indicating that the August Construction Cost Index (CCI) increased 13.57%. This is largely due to international scrap metal prices increasing, with steel rising around 50...