GPS Devices Makers in mainland China and Taiwan Expected to Achieve US$3.3 Billion Production Value in 2006—Up 20 Percent Year-on-year

GPS Devices Makers in mainland China and Taiwan Expected to Achieve US$3.3 Billion Production Value in 2006—Up 20 Percent Year-on-year

HONG KONG, Feb. 28, 2006 – Global Sources’ (NASDAQ: GSOL) China Sourcing Report: Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Devices shows mainland China and Taiwan are expected to manufacture a combined US$3.3 billion worth of GPS products in 2006—an increase of 20 percent year-on-year. Eighty percent of production is expected to be exported.

The 123-page China Sourcing Report provides production, technology, price and component supply forecasts for the GPS industry in Taiwan and mainland China. It features detailed profiles of 32 leading manufacturers compiled through factory visits, plus specifications for 112 popular export products.

Report publisher, Mark Saunderson, said: “Improvements in GPS accuracy, an increase in the number of consumer applications and lower pricing are contributing to industry growth in 2006.

“Currently, Taiwan production focuses on handheld receivers, with production expected to top US$1.68 billion this year. Mainland China production consists mostly of in-vehicle systems, and is expected to reach US$1.62 billion by yearend.”

Taiwan has more than 100 GPS makers, and mainland China has approximately 30 suppliers. Production is concentrated in Taipei and Hsinchu in Taiwan, and in Shenzhen in mainland China.

Fifty percent of surveyed manufacturers plan to upgrade chipsets, firmware and software in the coming months. Many are adding support for wide area augmentation system (WAAS)—a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections—and other functions to improve positioning accuracy.

Global Sources’ more than 100 China Sourcing Reports provide proprietary market information from extensive factory visits and in-person interviews with China manufacturers. They help buyers make better-informed purchasing decisions.

China Sourcing Reports are part of Global Sources’ sourcing and product information services, which include Global Sources trade magazines, Global Sources Online, Global Sources Direct and the China Sourcing Fairs. For more information, visit http://www.corporate.globalsources.com

China Sourcing Report: GPS Devices is available for US$495 at http://www.globalsources.com/astj/gpsproduct .


About Global Sources
Global Sources is a leading business-to-business (B2B) media company and a primary facilitator of two-way trade with Greater China. It provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers.

The company helps its community of more than 479,000 active buyers to source more profitably from complex, overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing as many effective ways as possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in 230 countries.

The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. Suppliers using its four primary channels – online marketplaces, magazines, trade shows and direct online sales – are supported by its advertising creative, education programs and online content management applications.

Global Sources delivers information on 1.4 million products and more than 130,000 suppliers annually through 10 leading online marketplaces and monthly magazines, more than 100 sourcing research reports, and 14 China Sourcing Fairs and other trade shows. Buyers send more than 5.8 million inquiries annually to suppliers through Global Sources Online (www.globalsources.com) alone. Global Sources Direct is the company's new initiative that helps suppliers sell online.

In mainland China, Global Sources has a 25-year track record and 1,400 team members in 44 locations. Its services are backed by 35 years experience as a trade magazine publisher, 14 years as an organizer of trade shows, and 10 years as an online marketplace operator.