The Taiwan Excellence Showcase helped enhance the American public’s awareness and perception of Taiwanese products at New York’s Central Station (Grand Central Terminal). The Showcase, organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs through the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) and implemented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (also known as TAITRA), brought 65 premium Taiwanese brands, and more than a 150 products into Vanderbilt Hall for product experiential activities that lasted from October 21st to October 25th, 2014.
The Chairman of TAITRA, Kuo-Hsin Liang, arrived in New York to preside over the opening ceremony. He stressed that promoting the event through a Lifestyle Experience zone not only allows the American public to experience Taiwanese products hands-on, but also enables Taiwanese manufacturers to observe trends in the American market. This interaction will help find new opportunities for both America and Taiwan, further enhancing bilateral trade.
During the press conference, the media inquired about balancing trade between the North American and the Mainland Chinese markets. Liang replied, “Mainland China is one of the world’s emerging markets, but it is also necessary to disperse and continue cultivating mature markets in Europe and America. Taiwan is the US’s 12th largest trading partner, surpassing the Netherlands, England and Italy. In 2013, Taiwan-US bilateral trade volume amounted to $64 billion.”
Liang further stressed that Taiwanese products are no longer in a price competition in the North American or European markets. As long as they are innovative and expertly designed, the higher priced Taiwan Excellence products are still very competitive. Some examples of Taiwan’s competitive products include high-end laptops, Giant bicycles, Sakura brand kitchenware, and Franz porcelain.
Over a hundred people attended the opening ceremony, including the President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Nancy Pleger; Ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Mr. Chang Wen Liang; Chairman of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in New York, David Wu; as well as representatives from Taiwan Excellence manufacturers. The renowned rock band Tsunami (The Hsu-Nami) kicked off the event and excited the crowd with a re-interpretation of Taiwanese folk music through an electronic Erhu, which was wonderfully blended into the repertoire of rock music.
New York Central Station’s foot traffic is estimated to be up to 500 thousand people a day. The "Taiwan Excellence product experience activities" eye-catching decor attracted commuters and passengers from around the world. Many stopped by and enjoyed the experience, taking tons of pictures. The event showcased product categories such as Sports, Electronics & Tech, Lifestyle, and Home Medical supplies, providing US consumers with rich product diversity and an optimal display environment to experience the products firsthand.
The opening ceremony attracted a total of 20 local media representatives, including the New York Daily News, IBR News, America’s seventh-largest television station SINO TV, the World Journal, CNA, Eastern Television, Broadcasting Corporation of China, and other important local media covering news between the United States and Taiwan.
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