Furukawa Electric Increases Investment in Taiwan by TWD4.55 Billion.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Japanese companies are actively increasing their overseas investment after the 11 March 2011 earthquake.  Owed in part to the China-Taiwan Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), Japanese businesses are eyeing Taiwan as one of their priority targets for overseas investment.  Furukawa Electric recently has not only added investment in its PCB-used copper foil manufacturing plant in Taiwan to increase its output capacity but also relocated its lithium battery-used electrolyte copper foil manufacturing plant to Taiwan.

Furukawa Electric’s investments in Taiwan began in 1997 with the establishment of the PCB-used copper foil manufacturing plant.  It is putting in another TWD2.1 billion to increase the output capacity of the plant to answer the rising demands from local as well as Chinese buyers.

In the meantime, the Investment Commission, MOEA gave Furukawa Electric a go-ahead with its investment to set up Furukawa Circuit Foil Taiwan Corporation to manufacture lithium battery-used electrolyte copper foil in Taiwan.  This manufacturing plant to be built in the Yunlin Technology-based Industrial Park is Furukawa Electric’s pilot overseas manufacturing plant of the product.  According to Furukawa Electric, they will put in a total of TWD2.45 billion for this major investment with commercial operation scheduled for September 2012.  Furukawa Electric now holding a 40% share of the world market is the world’s No. 1 supplier of electrolyte copper foil products.  Obviously, it will have to remain on top of the ranking as this new investment in Taiwan once commissioned will push its global market share to a 60%.  (2011.07)
/EMA