Taiwan remains fourth among 50 economies in the latest edition of the Profit Opportunity Recommendation by U.S.-based Business Environment Risk Intelligence SA.
Scoring 63 out of 100 in the triannual report, Taiwan finished equal fourth with Canada behind first-placed Switzerland, 74; Norway, 67; and Singapore, 64. The country came second in Asia, beating out neighbors Japan and South Korea, 60; and Malaysia, 55.
Taiwan’s third-best 1C ranking—also awarded to Canada and Singapore—was assessed on the basis of its performance in three indexes: Operations Risk, Political Risk, and Remittance and Repatriation Factor. Switzerland and Norway earned 1A and 1B, respectively.
A standout result for Taiwan included fourth in operations, placing the country alongside Canada but behind the U.S., Switzerland and Australia in that order.
Of the 15 subindexes comprising operations, Taiwan topped the table in balance of payments, communications and transportation, long-term loans and venture capital, and monetary inflation. The country finished second in bureaucracy, labor cost/productivity and professional services and contracts.
Taiwan continued to lead the way in remittance and repatriation. The country’s merchandise trade surplus was US$3.95 billion in October, up from US$3.33 billion for the same month last year, while approved foreign direct investment grew 9.2 percent from January to September year on year.
Of the four subindexes making up remittance and repatriation, Taiwan outperformed in accumulated international reserves, foreign debt assessment and foreign exchange generation. The country finished third in legal framework. (SFC-E)
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