> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.taiwanquest.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Made in Taiwan
- URL: https://www.taiwanquest.com/made-in-taiwan/
- Published: 2026-02-25T08:00:55.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-26T05:58:39.000Z
- Description: When buying local is a political act…
- Author: Zhen-Kang

I moved to a new apartment last month, and so far, so good. Having a scooter parking space in the basement is life-changing (as is being only two minutes from the MRT).

I have a 3 m² garden on my balcony, where I’m growing mint, parsley, and some plant that apparently deters mosquitoes.

Life is good.

But, unlike where I lived for the past three years, my new apartment came unfurnished. So for a couple of weeks, buying furniture and appliances became a full-time endeavor. I’ve thought a lot about why this ended up being so complicated and so time-consuming, and I think it comes down to these five points:

- Unlike in New Zealand, in Taiwan there are dozens and dozens of options for buying furniture and appliances—so comparison shopping takes a while
- Kaohsiung’s a big city, so traveling between stores can take up to 45 minutes each time
- My apartment’s small, so I had to consider different combinations of items to make things fit
- My apartment has no closets, so I had to think about storage options
- I wanted to buy local

That last point is especially significant because so much of what we buy here is usually made in China.

But recently, China’s been a problematic neighbor:

- [Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan infrastructure averaged 2.6 million a day in 2025](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinese-cyberattacks-taiwan-infrastructure-averaged-26-million-day-2025-report-2026-01-05/) (Reuters, January 2026)
- [China incursions surge 15-fold](https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2026/02/02/2003851608) (Taipei Times, February 2026)
- [China is practicing a Taiwan blockade with a floating Great Wall](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jillgoldenziel/2026/01/31/china-is-practicing-a-taiwan-blockade-with-a-floating-great-wall/) (Forbes, January 2026)
- [20 Taiwanese detained or missing in China in January](https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6301733) (Taiwan News, February 2026)

So, in this context, buying local has become a political act.

When looking for furniture and appliances, I tried to avoid imports from China. I don’t want to contribute to the CCP’s tax take. (Having said that, cost factored into my thinking, and few times I caved and bought Chinese-made products. But only a few times. Mostly stuff from IKEA.)

Here are photos of everything else I got—proudly made in Taiwan, or at least made by Taiwanese companies:

## Fridge

![A Sharp refrigerator in a Taiwanese kitchen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/taiwan-sharp-refrigerator.webp)

NT$14,000 (NZ$700). I negotiated for this to be bought by my landlord. The Sharp brand is now majority-owned by Taiwanese conglomerate Foxconn (although this fridge was made in Thailand).

## Washing machine

![A Sharp washing machine on a Taiwanese apartment balcony. The washing machine is within a flimsy protective cover.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/sharp-washing-machine-on-balcony.webp)

NT$12,000 (NZ$600). Also bought by my landlord, and also made by Sharp (Foxconn) in Thailand.

## Mattress

![A duvet and pillows on a double bed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/bed.webp)

NT$10,000 (NZ$500). Made here in Kaohsiung, and literally the best mattress I’ve ever owned. Usual price NT$16,000.

## Couch

![Three-seater gray fabric sofa with chaise extension on the right side, and two cushions.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/yks-sofa-made-in-kaohsiung.webp)

NT$9,600 (NZ$480). Also made in Kaohsiung. Usual price NT$20,000.

## Shelving unit

![A large two-meter-tall metal shelving unit, with shelves full of household items and parted curtains across the front.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/made-in-taiwan-storage-unit.webp)

NT$2,000 (NZ$100), excluding the curtains from IKEA.

## Mosquito lamp

![A Taiwanese bright blue mosquito lamp in a living room.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/chimei-mosquito-lamp.webp)

NT$1,500 (NZ$75).

## Benchtop oven

![A medium-sized benchtop oven made by Sampo. It has dials for temperature, heating mode, and timer.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/sampo-benchtop-oven-in-taiwanese-kitchen.webp)

NT$1,400 (NZ$70).

## Toaster

![A simple white toaster sitting unplugged on a kitchen bench.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/sampo-toaster-in-taiwanese-kitchen.webp)

NT$550 (NZ$28).

## Laundry drying rack

![A tall metal laundry rack on a Taiwanese balcony. It comprises two main horizontal rods with hanging pegs.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/laundry-drying-rack-on-taiwan-apartment-balcony.webp)

NT$500 (NZ$25).

## Large kitchen trolley

![A kitchen trolley with three shelves, containing appliances and plates and coffee-making equipment.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/made-in-taiwan-storage-trolley.webp)

NT$500 (NZ$25).

## Small kitchen trolley

![A small metal kitchen trolley wheeled under a kitchen counter and containing packets of processed foods.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/trolley.webp)

NT$350 (NZ$18).

## Outdoor fan

![A compact electric fan hanging from a wall mount on an apartment balcony in Taiwan.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/04/taiwan-made-electric-fan.webp)

NT$300 (NZ$15).

## Garden spray gun and hose

![A dripping garden spray gun, attached to a hose, and nestled on top of a wall-mounted outdoor garden tap.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/taiwan-garden-hose.webp)

NT$200 (NZ$10).

## Under-bed storage baskets

![Plastic storage bins underneath a black metal bed frame. The baskets contain random household items including IKEA bags.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/under-bed-storage.webp)

NT$80 (NZ$4) each.

## Office drawer organizers

![An open office drawer with stationery items in organizer trays.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/office-drawer-organizers-made-in-taiwan.webp)

NT$20 (NZ$1) each.

## Wi-Fi router

![A circular Zyxel Wi-Fi modem perched on top of a bookcase. The modem’s blue power light is on.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/02/chunghwa-telecom-zyxel-wi-fi-router.webp)

Free with my internet connection. Zyxel is a Taiwanese company (but this router was made in Vietnam).

---

I’m happy with all these purchases, and especially happy with the discounts I got on the mattress and couch.

In the case of the mattress, when I visited the factory showroom I tried a cheaper option which was so-so, before I reluctantly tried a NT$16,000 (NZ$800) alternative. I told the salesperson it was amazing, but my budget was only NT$10,000 (NZ$500).

She said if I’d forego the complimentary pillows, I could have it for NT$10,000 delivered. I accepted on the spot, then she threw in a sheet set for free.

Meanwhile, at another manufacturer’s showroom, the couch I liked was already over 50% off. I asked if I could buy two cushions made of the same material, and was told that if I accepted random colors, there’d be no charge. (I ended up with one gray and one white, both good.)

Buying this stuff was a hassle, but shopping around was worth it.

---

## Who’s Taiwanese?

In case you’re also interested in buying made-in-Taiwan as a political act (or you’re just apolitically curious), here are 20 high-profile companies you may not have realized are Taiwanese:

- [Acer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer%5FInc.) (computers)
- [ADATA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADATA) (flash storage)
- [AOC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOC%5FInternational) (monitors)
- [ASUS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus) (computers)
- [BenQ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BenQ) (monitors, projectors)
- [Chatime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatime) (bubble tea)
- [China Airlines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%5FAirlines) (Taiwan’s national carrier\*)
- [Din Tai Fung](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Din%5FTai%5FFung) (Chinese cuisine)
- [D-Link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Link) (modems, routers)
- [EVA Air](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EVA%5FAir) (airline)
- [Giant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%5FBicycles) (bicycles)
- [Gong Cha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong%5FCha) (bubble tea)
- [HTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC) (smartphones)
- [Realtek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realtek) (semiconductors)
- [Sangean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangean) (high-end radios)
- [Starlux](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlux%5FAirlines) (airline)
- [Tigerair](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigerair%5FTaiwan) (airline)
- [Transcend](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcend%5FInformation) (flash memory)
- [TSMC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSMC) (semiconductors)
- [World Gym](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%5FGym) (sports equipment, gyms)

\* Taiwan’s official name is Republic of China (ROC). China Airlines is Taiwan’s national carrier. Air China is China’s.

---

🇹🇼