Taiwan

1. Taiwan Taiwan CaylaO’Connor, Jayla Moore, Melissa Stober,PhuongNguyen, and Natalie Sereseroz

2. Demographics • Capital: Taipei • 13hrs ahead of Washington, DC • Location: Eastern Asia – Southeastern coast of China • slightly smaller than Delaware and Maryland combined • Climate: Tropical with a monsoon season June to August • Terrain: • East – mostly mountains • West – flat to gently rolling plains

3. Political Climate • Government: Multiparty Democracy • Economy: Capitalist economy with gradually decreasing government guidance of investment and foreign trade. • Foreign trade is the engine powering Taiwan’s economy. • Military: Large military establishment • Legal System: Civil Law system • Language: Mandarin Chinese • Religion: 93% Buddhist • Population: 23,071,779

4. Political Climate • GDP – per capita: $35,700 • Industry Sector(textile, electronics, and consumer products): is 36% of the labor force • Exports: #17 in the world ($273 billion) • Culture: blend of Chinese, Japanese, and western influences. The United States is the 3rd largest trade partner of Taiwan, China being the first. • Developed Economy • Taiwan relies on its transformation to high technology and service–oriented economy. • Age majority in Population: 73% of 15-64 years old

5. Labor Laws • World Trade Organization (WTO) in Jan. 2002 and reduced about 4,500 tariffs • Labor Insurance act: insurance coverage to employees in the private sector, like industrial workers including workers in the textile area • Labor Standards law: defines wages, contracts, and outlines the rights and obligations of workers and employers. • Prescribes working hours, work leave and employment of women and children. • Offers protections against unreasonable work hours and forced labor • allows workers the right to receive compensation for occupational injuries and layoffs. • Labor Laws protect the rights of workers and addresses labor issues like workers welfare, gender equality, labor management relations, safety and health.

6. Labor Standards • Employers can not make an employee who is already employed somewhere else perform work for them. Employers must have worker record cards which include main and background information of employees • Employers must provide a safe and clean workplace • Wages must be paid twice a month unless otherwise specified and cannot fall behind basic wage. Overtime is paid between 1/3-2/3 of the normal rate. • May not exceed more then 84 working hours for 2 weeks with one regular day off and at least a 30 min break for 4 continuous work hours • Children under 15 are prohibited to work and between 15-16 can not work more then an 8 hour day

7. Firms in Taiwan • Invista • Rhodia • Dupont • Solutia • BASF • ASAHI

8. Trade Regulations &Taiwan and the U.S. • Tax Value of 5% applied on the Cost, Insurance Freight value (CIF) • Port charge of .5% applied to CIF + Duty + Value-Added tax (VAT) for shipments by sea • U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) • Trade regulation in the food industry • Often regarded as an important step toward FTAs

9. Leading Fiber:Nylon 6,6 • Invented American organic chemist Wallace Hume Carothers • In 1935 Nylon became the world’s first silk substitute. • Today it is used in soft goods that require high tensile strength, resilience, and abrasion resistance. Nylon 6,6 is commonly used in carpet fiber, sports apparel, outdoor apparel, wash and wear clothing, airbags, hoses, and conveyor belts • $1.70-$1.73/lb market price.

10. Characteristics of Nylon 6,6 • Nylon 6,6 is the strongest of all nylon • Abrasion Resistant • Low friction coefficient • Lightweight • Windproof • Stretchy • Colorfast • Resistance to Organic substances like oils and alcohols

11. Interesting Facts • Nylon 6,6 was initially developed in order to replace silk stockings during World War II. Silk was used for parachutes for soldiers • Nylon was the world’s first thermoplastic- a plastic that is liquid when heated to melting point then turns solid when significantly cooled. • 70% of the suppliers of world famous Athletic Brands come from Taiwan

12. Foreign Presence • With the use of foreign direct investment, many foreign firms have expanded manufacturing and Research and Development operations to Taiwan. • Firms in Taiwan reap the benefits of tax incentives implemented in the early 1980s by the Executive Yuan in order to encourage Taiwan’s economic growth. Rising labor cost ushered in the era of Research and Development in the Synthetic textile industry. • The Taiwan Miracle

13. So, Why Taiwan? • Taiwan acts as an intermediary to facilitate long term relationships with the foreign buyers and various manufacturers. • Taiwan's Free Trade Zone is the most competitive and has already established production bases in countries all around the world. • Highly efficient customs system, strong manufacturing capabilities, and a B2B infrastructure • Newer Technology • Increased focused on Research and Development • Link Between East and West coast

14. So, Why Taiwan?

15. References • http://investtaiwan.nat.gov.tw/doc/industry/22Textile_Industry_eng.pdf  • http://eweb.customs.gov.tw/lp.asp?ctNode=6493&CtUnit=722&BaseDSD=7 • http://www.ehow.com/about_4676865_what-is-nylon.html • http://www.icispricing.com/il_shared/Samples/SubPage224.asp • http://mytextilenotes.blogspot.com/2009/05/manufacturing-process-of-nylon-66.html • http://export.gov/logistics/eg_main_018142.asp • https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html#top • http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35855.htm • http://7economy.com/archives/294 • http://web.ita.doc.gov/tacgi/overseasnew.nsf/alldata/Taiwan • http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Taiwan-WORKING-CONDITIONS.html