Now in its 21st year, the Taipei International Auto/Motorcycle Parts & Accessories (AMPA) trade show is well equipped to bring together thousands of auto industry professionals from around the globe to share products, designs and ideas. 

As this year’s event quickly approaches, companies from the United States, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, India, Pakistan and Hong Kong prepare to attend AMPA as exhibitors and buyers.

The show, held May 13-16 at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall in Taiwan, is Asia’s largest event and the third largest trade show worldwide, behind Automekanica in Frankfurt and AAPEX, says Mario Tsai, manager of exhibition section one in the exhibition department for the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). TAITRA, a nonprofit organization that enhances opportunities for worldwide trading, is the main sponsor of AMPA.

The Exhibition Hall is seven stories high and covers 163,000 sq. meters. This year an anticipated 850 exhibitors and 2,200 booths plan to take up floor space, and those numbers continue to grow each year. There were 20,754 visitors at AMPA in 2004; this year, the projected crowd number is 27,000.

“Taiwan is a major worldwide supplier of auto parts for the aftermarket,” Tsai says. “Generally speaking, 30 percent of the U.S. buyers come to AMPA in order to find Taiwan OEM suppliers, and the other 70 percent, to find aftermarket suppliers.”

In 2004, a total of 5,018 buyers registered at AMPA, 732 of which were from North America. In terms of individual countries, the United States ranked second last year with 654 buyers, to Japan, which had 1,017 buyers.

The trade show features auto parts, like engines and brakes; car accessories like dies and jig fixtures; as well as motorcycle parts and motor scooters.

Tsai says more accessory manufacturers participate in the trade show than hard parts manufacturers. Their specialty, for example, is Taiwan-made electronic accessories with innovation design.

Last year, six U.S. companies exhibited at AMPA, including Alto Products Corp. based in Atmore, Ala.; Exotica Fresheners Company in Toledo, Ohio; and SPX Corp. in Charlotte, N.C.

Chet Staron, president of Top Line Automotive Engineering Inc. in Chicago, has been exhibiting at AMPA for 11 years. The 31-year-old company has been manufacturing for about 12 years.

“It’s like a melting spot or a global meeting avenue,” he says. “It seems the whole world travels to visit the show. Our strongest focus is engine parts and components.”

Staron explains Top Line sells to both importers — the company’s largest customer base at the show — and Taiwanese exporters selling products to other countries. An interesting aspect of the trade show is the fact that American customers are attending to buy from Top Line, although they manufacture in the United States, he says.

“They see us there and instead of waiting six to eight weeks for their product, they get it in three to four days.”

One warning to American manufacturers, however, is not to expect immediate results upon arrival at the show. Staron says it took him a few years to establish dialogue with customers.

Tsai offers several reasons why American companies should attend AMPA, including the ability of Taiwan OEM parts exporters to help reduce U.S. automakers’ production costs by supplying cheaper, but quality, products.

Also, he says, U.S.-based buyers and distributors can find Taiwanese sub-contracted suppliers at AMPA, adding that all the Taiwan companies that exhibited at AAPEX 2004 will present more diversified product lines at this year’s show. In addition, Japanese automobiles have a bigger market share than those of American and European models with the growing Latin American market, offering up opportunities for parts distributors who sell to this region. He says Taiwan aftermarket suppliers are very good at developing parts for  Japanese cars, so American aftermarket distributors wishing to re-export the Taiwan-made products to the Latin American market (which includes Central and South America) must visit AMPA.

Howard Pi, vice president of POY Auto Parts Supply, Inc. in New Jersey, has been attending AMPA for five years and plans to return again this year. POY offers aftermarket collision parts for American, European and Asian automobiles, as well as accessories for cars and trucks. Pi says he goes to look at new designs and see what he can “get his hands on.”

Although the show is smaller than AAPEX, Pi uses the trade show to talk one-on-one with manufacturers, developing business contacts.

“You have to know the manufacturer. The reason why is when they have new stuff, they might not bring it out at the show, but they will talk to you privately,” he explains. “You have to attend the show a couple of times to start knowing them. Then they might want to show you new stuff. If you don’t go, you’re never going to see it.”

The Corporate Synergy Development Center (CSD), a government-funded organization, is co-sponsoring the trade show, says Arnold Chen, Industries Network Division. CSD is organizing the event, “International Seminar on Taiwan’s Automobile Parts Industry Entering the World Market.”

The cutoff for pre-registration is April 29, two weeks before the show begins. Those interested in attending can visit the AMPA website at www.taipeitradeshows.com.tw/ampa for more information.