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Author: Paula Chao
Published Date: 2019-05-31
Published Date: 2019-05-31
Taiwan’s sock makers might benefit from the escalating trade war between the United States and China. That’s according to the Taiwan Hosiery Manufacturers’ Association.
Shetou Township in the central county of Changhua has long been Taiwan’s hosiery hub. Recently, it received an order worth NT$300 million (US$ 10 million) from a customer in the United States. The customer originally ordered the goods from China; however, fearing high tariffs imposed on Chinese goods, it has reconsidered and transferred the order to Taiwan.
The chair of the Taiwan Hosiery Manufacturers’ Association, Wei Ping-yi, says the deal is not completely final yet, but that Taiwan’s sock makers will do their best to secure the order.
In its heyday, there were 600 sock makers in Shetou Township. Production in the township once reached 200 million pairs of socks per year. Although there are only 300 sock makers left, with fewer orders to go around, Wei says that manufacturers large and small, can team up to win back business. To ensure the good times return, Wei also says the government and the private sector must stand in unity.