Textile makers win with high-end products

This article was written by Manik Mehta and published by the Taiwan Journal on March 3, 2006. It features the Heimtextil Frankfurt Show, which is the world's largest home textile trade show. The show took place earlier this year, with 56 Taiwanese exhibitors setting up booths to sell their home textile and commercial textile products.

Made-in-Taiwan textile products are increasingly being sourced by purchasers from all over the world. Unable to compete against the low-end products from Chinese, Indian, South Korean and other suppliers, in recent years Taiwanese textile makers have been concentrating on developing high-tech textiles as well as those used for medical and industrial purposes.

According to the Taiwan Textile Federation, textile manufacturers in Taiwan are increasingly concentrating on innovation of new products, such as bamboo-based fibers and paper-made organic products. They are also targeting at different types of customers. While buyers from the United States are buying medium-priced and high-end products, Europeans prefer innovative and organic products.

Specifically, representatives from the federation observe that Taiwan's home textile industry has a good future ahead, for three reasons. Firstly, most manufacturers have already invested heavily over the past 15 years and are likely to remain dedicated to developing the industry. Secondly, the competition from low-end suppliers in countries such as China will not have any impact on Taiwan's textile exports, because Taiwanese companies are strong in polyester production and superior in research and development. Finally, the government in Taiwan gives strong support to the textile industry, providing assistance in getting low-interest loans and participating in international trade shows.

Indeed, trade shows such as the Heimtextil Frankfurt are excellent meeting points for buyers and sellers from all over the world. As Taiwanese manufactures continue to emphasize stability, quality and prompt delivery, their products are becoming increasingly popular among importers in Europe and the United States.

According to this article, Taiwanese textile makers are gradually upgrading to even higher value-added levels in recent years. They are developing markets for "functional textiles", which are sophisticated fabrics that can protect against moisture, dirt or viruses. Most importantly, Taiwan is now seen as an attractive destination for international investors who can be assured for intellectual property rights protection. Foreign brands can be assured that their trademarks and designs will not be pirated when they invest in Taiwan.