China Steel Corp (
Under the alliance, Far Eastern will take a 35 percent stake in an e-commerce venture China Steel has already set up.
China Steel earlier this year invested NT$130 million to create an e-commerce company called Wang Ju You Shi (網際優勢). Far Eastern will inject an additional NT$45 million into the project. The Web company plans to increase its total capitalization to NT$500 million in the future.
"We are talking with many other local firms that have shown interest in investing in the new company," a China Steel official said yesterday.
The new enterprise will provide a way for manufacturing companies to do business over the Internet. According to C.Y. Wang (王鍾渝), chairman of China Steel, Far Eastern Group's major businesses include textiles, cement, banking, retail and telecommunications. China Steel and Far Eastern Group's businesses together will account for a considerable portion of transactions conducted through the new e-commerce venture.
"The total annual purchases and sales of the two corporations amount to NT$500 billion. This alliance ensures a large customer base for Wang Ju You Shi," Wang said.
"China Steel and Far Eastern are among the few local companies that employ the ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning] system," said Douglas Hsu (
China Steel's chairman noted that now is a good time to get into e-commerce because the number of Internet users is rapidly increasing and the technology is quite mature.
According to statistics provided by China Steel, the business-to-business market will reach US$403 billion this year and US$2 trillion by 2002.
According to Laing Chong-chun (
In addition, due to Taiwan's high population density, a focus on consumers is not needed, as customer convenience is less of a problem in Taiwan.
On the otherhand, greater business-to-business integration would be of great value.
TAKING STOCK: A Taiwanese cookware firm in Vietnam urged customers to assess inventory or place orders early so shipments can reach the US while tariffs are paused Taiwanese businesses in Vietnam are exploring alternatives after the White House imposed a 46 percent import duty on Vietnamese goods, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on the US’ trading partners. Lo Shih-liang (羅世良), chairman of Brico Industry Co (裕茂工業), a Taiwanese company that manufactures cast iron cookware and stove components in Vietnam, said that more than 40 percent of his business was tied to the US market, describing the constant US policy shifts as an emotional roller coaster. “I work during the day and stay up all night watching the news. I’ve been following US news until 3am
Six years ago, LVMH’s billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault and US President Donald Trump cut the blue ribbon on a factory in rural Texas that would make designer handbags for Louis Vuitton, one of the world’s best-known luxury brands. However, since the high-profile opening, the factory has faced a host of problems limiting production, 11 former Louis Vuitton employees said. The site has consistently ranked among the worst-performing for Louis Vuitton globally, “significantly” underperforming other facilities, said three former Louis Vuitton workers and a senior industry source, who cited internal rankings shared with staff. The plant’s problems — which have not
TARIFF CONCERNS: The chipmaker cited global uncertainty from US tariffs and a weakening economic outlook, but said its Singapore expansion remains on track Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp (世界先進), a foundry service provider specializing in producing power management and display driver chips, yesterday withdrew its full-year revenue projection of moderate growth for this year, as escalating US tariff tensions raised uncertainty and concern about a potential economic recession. The Hsinchu-based chipmaker in February said revenues this year would grow mildly from last year based on improving supply chain inventory levels and market demand. At the time, it also anticipated gradual quarter revenue growth. However, the US’ sweeping tariff policy has upended the industry’s supply chains and weakened economic prospects for the world economy, it said. “Now
COLLABORATION: Given Taiwan’s key position in global supply chains, the US firm is discussing strategies with local partners and clients to deal with global uncertainties Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) yesterday said it is meeting with local ecosystem partners, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), to discuss strategies, including long-term manufacturing, to navigate uncertainties such as US tariffs, as Taiwan occupies an important position in global supply chains. AMD chief executive officer Lisa Su (蘇姿丰) told reporters that Taiwan is an important part of the chip designer’s ecosystem and she is discussing with partners and customers in Taiwan to forge strong collaborations on different areas during this critical period. AMD has just become the first artificial-intelligence (AI) server chip customer of TSMC to utilize its advanced