BenQ enters LCD TV market in Romania

BenQ, the Taiwanese producer of electronic equipment (which derived 12.3 billion dollars in turnover in 2005) entered the Romanian market of liquid crystal TV sets on Wednesday, in response to the skyrocketing domestic demand. The company was aided by the elimination of high customs duties, as a result of Romania joining the European Union. “We expect the demand for LCD TVs, in Romania, to rise from the 20,000 units registered last year, to 150,000 this year, and according to our estimates, it will stand at close to a quarter of a million units next year,” stated Bobby Durbac, marketing manager of BenQ Romania. With Romania’s entering the EU, customs taxes for imports of electronics from Asia have dropped from 42% to 14%. However, since the BenQ products brought to Romania are manufactured in the Czech Republic, customs taxes will be close to zero, which will lead to much more competitive pricing. In response BenQ is investing massively in boosting its production capacity in the Czech Republic from two assembly lines to ten. The new electronic products have been available in the Media Galaxy network since Wednesday. Media Galaxy belongs to the Altex group, BenQ’s strategic partner in Romania.