subject: Businesses Can Reach Out Farther Using Worldwide Couriers To Send Goods To Taiwan [print this page] Seen as the home of mass production of modern-day consumer goods, Taiwan is often regarded as the holy grail for businesses looking for the best possible manufacturing base, as well as a highly developed market for their products.
One of the most densely populated islands in the world, and lying in the South China Sea, 23million people live on Taiwan, most being descended from early Han Chinese immigrants. Called Formosa by its first settlers, who arrived from Portugal in the 16th century, the name Taiwan comes from a translation of the name of an Aboriginal tribe which was discovered by the Dutch East India Company when it arrived to build a commercial outpost on the island in the early 17th century.
Taiwans industrial might is founded on the presence under and around the island of rich natural resources, including coal, oil and natural gas. Because the island also has strong onshore winds, the seas surrounding it are being heavily exploited by mainly German and American companies which are building extensive wind farms, both onshore and offshore.
However, it was only in the latter half of the 20th century that Taiwan adopted industrialisation on a massive scale. This was helped by the arrival from China of a large proportion of the countrys industrial and commercial elite, with subsidies from America helping them establish production facilities. Using these funds, the country set about trying to replicate goods which it imported from elsewhere. And of course, this has proved highly successful.
Today, the Taiwanese state has greatly relaxed its control of industrial production, and privatisation is also spreading to the countrys main banks. Both exports and imports reached new record levels in 2010, and the country has a massive trade surplus, which has been used to build up the fifth highest level of foreign currency reserves anywhere in the world.
Taiwans production base consists mainly of small and medium-sized companies, but they are involved in some of the fastest-growing business sectors in the world, such as nanotechnology, computer and laptop manufacture, smartphones, communication and networking, and assembling solar panels.
Trading with businesses in Taiwan demands the support of an excellent worldwide parcel delivery service. As the country is so keen on manufacturing so many of the goods it needs, only companies which can offer a proven international delivery service which responds to businesses needs will succeed.
While the worldwide economic downturn signalled a lull in growth of the Taiwanese economy, its underlying strength has enabled it to bounce back strongly. Any business hoping to harness some of the opportunities available in such a vibrant country need to be confident that they can have their goods delivered exactly when they are needed.
