Dallas: The 2025 Taiwan Expo USA opened Thursday in Dallas, Texas, featuring 150 Taiwanese companies showcasing their latest technologies in the fields of drones, smart manufacturing, and health care.
According to Focus Taiwan, the event's organizer, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), highlighted notable exhibitors this year, including Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Foxconn), the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer; AUO Corp.; PC brand Asustek Computer Inc.; and drone maker Thunder Tiger Corp.
In his opening speech, TAITRA Chairman James Huang expressed his expectations for Texas to evolve into a global center for innovation and manufacturing. He noted the influx of American tech companies from Silicon Valley and the formation of an industrial cluster by Taiwanese manufacturers along the U.S.-Mexico border, along with their investments in the state. Huang pointed to significant investments such as the US$3.5 billion by GlobalWafers Co. in a new silicon wafer manufacturing plant in Sherman.
At the same event, Ingrid Larson, managing director of the American Institute in Taiwan's Washington office, commended Taiwan for its expertise in semiconductor production. She emphasized Taiwan's increased investment efforts aimed at aiding the United States in revitalizing manufacturing, highlighting Texas as a key attraction for players in the semiconductor supply chain and high-tech sectors, including Taiwanese companies like GlobalWafers, Delta Electronics, Foxconn, Inventec, and Wistron.
Taiwan-based Toptek, present at the expo, noted a growing trend of manufacturers relocating production to the U.S. in response to global economic and trade shifts. Toptek highlighted the strong demand for automation in Texas due to higher labor costs, presenting opportunities for robotics adoption. This demand is further bolstered by companies setting up manufacturing bases in the U.S., influenced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).
On the topic of drones, Thunder Tiger Chief Strategy Officer Chang Feng-ning addressed the increasing demand for single-use, suicide-type attack drones, driven by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and trends in the U.S. defense industry. Chang noted that while most drone motors are produced in China, Thunder Tiger has established a motor production line in Taiwan and plans to expand drone component production to the U.S., aiming to seize market opportunities and help the U.S. reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains.
The 2025 Taiwan Expo USA, which includes the Taiwan-U.S. Supply Chain Cooperation Forum, is being held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas and will run until Saturday. Additionally, Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) inaugurated its trade and investment center in Dallas on Thursday, intended to foster closer cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. This center is the third established by the MOEA as part of the "offshore operations, onshore management" policy, following similar initiatives in the Czech Republic and Japan.
At the expo, William Liu, director-general of the International Trade Administration under MOEA, stated that Taiwan has been the largest source of foreign direct investment in Texas over the past 18 months. Liu emphasized that the trade center will enhance industrial collaboration and development with Texas by coordinating MOEA resources to promote two-way investment, trade, and industrial and technological cooperation.