Songjiang zone raises exports
12/8/2004 10:38
Trade from Shanghai Songjiang Export Processing Zone jumped by 68 percent
in the first half of this year as more high-tech manufacturers started operation
in the zone, Shanghai Customs said yesterday.
The zone based in Shanghai's
southwestern Songjiang District produces a fourth of the world's notebook
computers. In the first half of this year, it shipped out US$3.58 billion worth
of high-tech products, a rise of 71 percent year-on-year.
Companies in the
zone imported US$2.43 billion worth of products in the same period, up 64
percent from last year, the custom authority said.
"The Songjiang zone has
gathered a lot more high-tech companies from wider industries and has become the
world's leading notebook-computer manufacturing center," said Yu Wujin, a
Customs official.
Led by Taiwan-invested Tech-Front (Shanghai) Computer Co
Ltd, the biggest original equipment manufacture of notebook computers, the
Songjiang zone is now supplying a fourth of the world's notebook
computers.
Officials with Tech-Front said a new factory started
operation this year and two more plants will begin operation in the second
half of this year which will expand its manufacturing capacity.
Imports and
exports of Tech-Front surged by 3.7 times over last year to hit US$9.18
billion.
In the first half of this year, Tech-Front's trade value
reached US$3.2 billion.
"We expect this year's trade value to exceed
last years' although in the first half trade growth slowed from the second half
of last year due to a relatively sluggish world market," said Annie Du, a
Tech-Front official.
Tech-Com Computer, a Tech-Front related company, started
operation this year and exported US$2 billion by the end of June.
Chen liying
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