A heavyweight Taiwanese-Japanese business delegation is visiting Africa to focus on opportunities resulting from global supply chain restructuring. Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) Chairman James C. F. Huang (黃志芳), in collaboration with Japanese company Toyota Tsusho, has led four Taiwanese exporters on a mission to strengthen Taiwan's key role in the global supply chain.
Due to the U.S.-China trade war, many Taiwanese businesses have withdrawn from mainland China and are moving elsewhere. Huang pointed out that Taiwan is generally unfamiliar with Africa's abundant labor force and low labor costs, which can replace China and Southeast Asia as a new manufacturing base. He added that the continent is a new trade territory with a massive market of more than 1.5 billion people. Africa is also rich in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, minerals, and forests.
The four Taiwanese companies participating in the delegation are all industry benchmark manufacturers, including representatives from Formosa Plastics Group, FCS Precision Industry Co., Chanda Chemical Corp., and Everlight Chemical.
Formosa Plastics Group representative Chiu Chia-hao (邱家豪) emphasized that, through the power of TAITRA, deep connections can be made within the huge potential of the African market.