If other Japanese notebook makers speed construction of plants in China, they could take away Taiwan's title as the world's number one supplier of notebook computers. Chang believes Toshiba's China plant will be up to full production by the end of the year, about the time Compal expects the government to relax its policy on notebook manufacturing in China. One of the new plants is for notebooks, another for mobile phone production and one is another CRT monitor factory. The company expects to save between 3 and 5 percent on the manufacturing cost of notebook computers by relocating to China, enough to help weather the current slowdown in PC sales worldwide. And Compal isn't the only notebook maker to move forward with China plans in anticipation of the move forward.
Analysts say Quanta was the last of Taiwan's notebook makers to build facilities in China.
The industry is now united in pressuring the government to hurry its policy revision along, and allow notebook manufacturing to commence in China. Taiwan's high tech regulators also restrict Taiwanese firms from the production of semiconductors and petrochemicals in China. This story has been viewed 506 times. The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.