LAPTOP PCS - MADE IN TAIWAN NO LONGER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 004719 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/TC DEPT PASS AIT/W E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 TAGS: ECON EINV CH TW SUBJECT: LAPTOP PCS - MADE IN TAIWAN NO LONGER REF: A. 04 TAIPEI 3464 ¶B. TAIPEI 343 ¶C. TAIPEI 2743 ¶D. TAIPEI 2869 ¶E. TAIPEI 4624 Classified By: AIT Deputy Director David J. Keegan, Reason 1.4 d Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Taiwan firms had a 72.4 percent share of global laptop manufacturing in 2004, but more than 90 percent of their laptop output was assembled in the PRC. The rapid transfer of laptop PC assembly from Taiwan to the Mainland has been driven by the movement of component suppliers and customers to the PRC, as well as by cheaper labor and land costs. These same forces are increasing pressure on Taiwan's most advanced industries, semiconductors and TFT- LCD panel manufacturers, to move production to the PRC as well. While manufacturing has moved to the Mainland, Taiwan firms have generally maintained research and development, finance and management operations in Taiwan. Some Taiwan IT firms have also sought to develop their own brand name as fierce price competition has driven down manufacturing profits. Taiwan can emerge as a stronger, more mature economy after the large-scale transfer of manufacturing operations to the PRC, but many of the regulations governing Taiwan's economic relations with the PRC have reduced its opportunity to fully utilize its strengths. End summary. Still a Powerhouse -------------- ¶2. (U) Taiwan dominates global laptop PC manufacturing and remains a global IT manufacturing power. Taiwan firms had a 72.4 percent share of global laptop manufacturing in ¶2004. According to Taiwan's Market Intelligence Center, a industry research firm, Taiwan firms also had market shares that topped 50 percent for seven other categories of components and peripherals, such as motherboards (78.3 percent),LCD monitors (67.6 percent),cable modems (66.3 percent),and WLAN equipment (83.0 percent). Manufacturing Moving West... -------------- ¶3. (C) However, Taiwan firms continue to move IT manufacturing operations from Taiwan to the PRC. In 2005, about 80 percent of IT hardware produced by Taiwan firms will be made in the PRC according to Sean Kao, a consultant at MIC. He predicts that this ratio will not increase much more because most of the Taiwan factories that can benefit from transferring to the Mainland have already moved. Kao estimates that Taiwan firms currently account for 70 to 90 percent of the PRC's IT hardware output. For Laptops... -------------- ¶4. (C) Taiwan media reported in September that when First International Computer Co shut down its last factory in Taiwan, no laptop PC assembly lines were left on the island. The report was exaggerated. ASUSTeK Computer Inc. President of the Sales and Marketing Group Jonathan Tsang told AIT that his firm still maintains about half of its laptop production in Taiwan. The firm expects to produce a total of 4 million laptops this year. Chen Li-hen, a laptop PC industry analyst at MIC, told AIT that Wistron, another major Taiwan producer of laptops also maintains significant production in Taiwan. Nevertheless, the speed and scale of the transfer of Taiwan's laptop assembly industry to the PRC has been astonishing. According to MIC, Taiwan manufacturers currently produce more than 90 percent of their laptop PCs in the PRC. Tsang also noted that ASUSTeK will move its remaining laptop production to the PRC next year when its new factory near Shanghai opens. The near total evacuation of Taiwan's laptop PC manufacturing industry is even more remarkable considering that until January 2002 Taiwan prohibited any laptop manufacturing investment in the PRC. (Note: The extent to which this prohibition was circumvented is difficult to assess. Luis Huang of Taiwan's Investment Commission (IC) told AIT/T that before the prohibition was lifted, IC investigated several cases of minor infractions and imposed small fines on some firms. End note.) And Other IT Hardware -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Other categories of IT hardware have also seen rapid migration to the PRC. For example, according to information from MIC, 85 percent of motherboards produced by Taiwan firms in 2004 were made in the PRC, up from 60 percent in 2002 and 40 percent in 2000. Taiwan firms' production of LCD monitors in the PRC was also about 85 percent in 2004 up from 65 percent in 2002 and less than 5 percent in 2000. (Note: Investment in manufacturing facilities for TFT-LCD panels is still prohibited, but firms are allowed to assemble monitors and other consumer products. End note.) For cable modems, 72 percent of Taiwan firms' output was made in the Mainland in 2004. Approximately 60 percent of WLAN equipment made by Taiwan firms was produced in the PRC. Multiple Forces Driving Migration -------------- ¶6. (C) The rapid transfer of laptop PCs was driven by multiple factors. Jason Lin, Deputy Spokesman for Quanta, the world's largest laptop manufacturer emphasized the need to follow suppliers. Andrew Chen, Vice President for PC Sales at Compal (the world's second largest laptop manufacturer),told AIT that many of his firm's customers have also moved operations to the PRC, increasing the need to move assembly lines there. MIC's Kao noted the importance of lower labor and land costs in the PRC, which is especially important as margins for contract laptop PC producers have been reduced to very low levels. Quanta and Compal both expect to have gross margins of 6 percent for ¶2005. Creeping Further Up the Chain -------------- ¶7. (C) These same forces are building pressure for Taiwan's most advanced industries to move production to the PRC as well. Taiwan still prohibits any investment in the manufacturing of TFT-LCD panels. It has strong restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing as well. To date, Taiwan has approved only one semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, to build a factory, which can only produce semiconductor chips with technology that is three generations behind the most advanced available (ref B). Taiwan regulations also prevent semiconductor packaging and testing firms from investing in the Mainland (ref C). Taiwan firms continue to push the government to liberalize these categories of investment, arguing that they need to be in the PRC to be close to their customers. Some argue that unless they can gain a stronger foothold in the PRC soon, it will be difficult to compete against rapidly growing PRC firms. Mainland Affairs Council officials have told AIT that Taiwan may liberalize investment in some of these categories after Taiwan's December 3 local elections. What's Left for Taiwan? -------------- ¶8. (C) The challenge for Taiwan's leaders in the face of the rapid migration of manufacturing is to ensure that the information technology industry continues to bring economic benefits to Taiwan. One segment of the IT hardware manufacturing process where Taiwan can still compete with the PRC is research and development. Compal's Chen pointed out that his firm maintains all of its research and development activities in Taiwan and has no plans to move them to the PRC. Many firms want to keep these activities in Taiwan because they can better protect their intellectual property here. Taiwan also has a highly skilled workforce. However, many firms complain of shortages of workers in high technology industries and have urged the Taiwan government to loosen restrictions on bringing employees from elsewhere, including the PRC (ref D). ¶9. (C) Most Taiwan IT manufacturers have also kept their corporate headquarters in Taiwan. However, Taiwan firms have increasingly sought financing in the PRC, Hong Kong, or elsewhere for their Mainland operations, sometimes to avoid Taiwan restrictions on cross-Strait investment. MIC's Kao also commented that more Taiwan IT firms will move their corporate headquarters to the PRC as Mainland operations become more central to their overall business strategy. ¶10. (C) Some observers argue that as manufacturing operations move to the Mainland, Taiwan IT firms need to enhance the sales of products that carry their own brand names. In the past, Taiwan IT firms have concentrated on manufacturing products under contract from foreign name brand firms. However, fierce price competition has forced down margins for contract manufacturing of many IT goods, and some companies have turned to marketing their own brands to increase profits. Acer has been the most successful firm in this area, becoming the world's number five PC brand by market share in 2004. ASUSTeK's Tsang told us that about half of his company's laptop PC production is sold under the Asus brand name and that percentage is expected to grow. The firm plans to separate contract manufacturing and brand name operations into two firms sometime in the next three years, following a similar model to Acer's restructuring in 2000. Comment - Holding Back Taiwan Not the PRC -------------- ¶11. (C) Taiwan firms can increase their profits by moving manufacturing to the Mainland, but at the same time Taiwan can benefit from this transfer by evolving from an economy specializing in low-cost manufacturing to a service-based economy building on strengths in finance, research and development, and marketing. Unfortunately, many of the regulations governing Taiwan's economic relations with the PRC have reduced its ability to fully utilize these strengths. Limits on total investment encourage firms to seek financing locally in the Mainland or elsewhere (ref E). Cross-Strait financial restrictions further impede Taiwan's development as a regional financial center. Restrictions on the ability of Taiwan firms to employ PRC workers in Taiwan make the island less attractive for research and development activities. The lack of direct air links discourages Taiwan firms from managing PRC operations from Taiwan. As long as political considerations override economic priorities, Taiwan's cross-Strait regulations will hinder Taiwan's ability to face the challenge of China's economic growth and become a stronger, more mature economy. Paal