The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the island's largest non-profit trade body, plans to attend more trade events on the Chinese mainland in a bid to consolidate Taiwan's competitive edge in the domestic market.

TAITRA is organizing delegations to nine major exhibits and expositions this year, three of which are new to them: the China Xiamen Machinery and Electronics Exhibition, Dalian Import and Export Commodities Fair, and Chengdu's Western China International Economy and Trade Fair.

The events extend the council's interest from coastal provinces to the mainland's west and northeast, where economies are less developed.

TAITRA are also broadening its range of products with focus on areas of machinery, electronics and auto parts, in which Taiwan-made products are popular in the mainland market.

Other events listed are the Guangzhou International Auto Accessories Exposition, Guangzhou's China International Ceramic Exhibition, Changchun Automobile Exposition, Shanghai International Exposition for Auto Parts, Shenyang's China International Equipment Manufacturing Exposition and the Dalian wedding exposition.

The mainland remains the biggest market for Taiwan, taking 39.8 percent of the island province's exports. From January to November 2006, Taiwan enjoyed a trade surplus of 60.31 billion U.S dollars with the Chinese mainland with exports of 79.22 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

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