Taiwanese notebook companies reportedly said about 70% to 80% of their notebook shipments could come frm China this year, in a move to take advantage of the low production cost in China and increase competitiveness, according to sources.

Quanta Computer, Taiwan’s largest notebook maker, expects to start volume production at its second factory in Shanghai this August. In addition, it will complete a third factory, also in Shanghai, in the first half of 2004 at the latest. The company expects to see its China production take 80% of its total output in the fourth quarter of 2003, when its total capacity in China could reach 700,000 to 800,000 units per month, sources said.

While Quanta’s current monthly capacity in Taiwan is about 400,000 units, the company plans to cut back the production to about 100,000 units in the future, with the rest of the capacity shifted to manufacture mobile phones, LCDs and other consumer electronics products, according to the sources.

With growing capacity in China, Quanta is eyeing full-year production of 9.4 million units in 2003 and 12 million in 2004, sources said. Other Taiwanese notebook makers seem to take a similar path, as many have also projected a significant volume build-up in China. Compal Electronics expects to see its China production take 75-80% of its six million unit shipments this year, sources said. The company shipped about four million notebooks in 2002, of which about half were produced in China, sources said.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved