According to statistics from the Directorate General of Customs, the total value of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) exports in 2008 was US$258,388,200 which is 3.53% higher than the US$249,579,000 amount last year and 4.85% greater than 2006.On a quarterly basis, Taiwan ATV export amounts have seen steady positive growth. Exports in the first quarter of 2008 increased 19.52% over the same period in 2006 and 17.51% over the same period in 2007. Growth in the second quarter was 22.41% and 5.15% respectively. Growth was mixed however in the third and fourth quarters. Exports in the third quarter of 2008 were down 2.54% compared to 2006 and 3.05% higher than 2007. As for the fourth quarter, exports dropped to a three year low, declining 18.85% and 13.04% respectively.
Table 2 shows the 2008 Taiwan ATV export statistics for the top 10 countries. The United States was still the top market for the Taiwan ATV industry with exports reaching US$65,706,490 followed by Germany, Belgium, France, Canada, Italy, Korea, Greece, the United Kingdom and Sweden. Based on the region, seven of the top exporting countries were located in Europe. From these statistics, we can see that Europe is another critical market for Taiwan’s ATV industry.
In the second half of 2008, demand in countries around the world plummeted due to the global economic crisis. Because the United States is a central market for Taiwan’s ATV industry, the impact was significant. In order to avoid head-to-head competition with China’s ATV manufacturers, Taiwan’s ATV industry has gradually developed higher value added products for sale through OEM or under their own brand name. Due to this strategy, the total export value of Taiwan’s ATV industry has seen positive growth for three straight years. We can see that the market has responded positively to Taiwan products even under the adverse conditions of this financial storm.
