switch

Global switch production is in for steady growth until 2006, where consumption is expected to reach US$3.75 billion, driven mostly by increased spending in consumer electronics, telecom and IT products, and equipment for industrial and transportation applications. OEMs are predicted to account for at least half of the worldwide sales. An estimated one-third of the world's requirement for switches is supplied collectively by mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In 2005, mainland China's and Taiwan's aggregate annual sales are pegged at about US$1.60 billion, up about 15 percent from US$1.39 billion in 2004. Production in mainland China encompasses Taiwan- and Hong Kong-owned companies that have opted to put up manufacturing facilities in the region because of its low overhead costs and proximity to allied industries such as electronics, telecoms and IT. Despite the forecast production slowdown in Taiwan, annual sales are expected to rise 16 percent to US$437.9 million in 2005 from US$377.5 million in 2004 on the strength of rising demand for high-end switches. Most Taiwan makers turn out rocker switches, roll ball switches and key lock switches.