In order to praise the excellent export and import manufacturers and excellent small and medium enterprises trading abroad in 2008, this year Ministry of Economic Affairs still combine the 2008 Award for International Trade hosted by Bureau of Foreign Trade, and the 12th Rising Star Award Ceremony hosted by Small and Medium Enterprise Administration. The ceremony is held on 14:00, 26th August, 2009 (Wednesday) at Room 201 of Taipei International Convention Centre. In addition that Liu Chao-shiuan, the Premier of The Executive Yuan is invited to deliver a speech and award prizes, excellent firms, outstanding small and medium enterprises, industry, government and academia VIPs, chairmen of the industrial and commercial organizations, diplomatic envoys of various countries and business representatives are also invited to participate in the ceremony. Ministry of Economic Affairs hopes that via the activity of praising excellent export and import manufacturers, their expanding the export actively will be approved, also the economic and trade development of Taiwan will be encouraged. Additionally, export and import manufacturers are expected to cooperate with the government constantly to promote our economic and trade competitiveness and achieve the goal of "economic prosperity in Taiwan”.

Bureau of Foreign Trade says that the criterion of being chosen as excellent export and import manufacturers of 2008 is those whose performances of the year export and import more than 19 million U.S. dollars. There are 2,117 private manufacturers correspond to the criterion and will be included in list of blue-chip companies. The prizes of Award for International Trade in 2008 are the same from last years, which are Premier Award (the top 10 best export and import performance of 2008, the top 10 best export growth rate, and the best two export growth rate in each target market) and Minister of Economic Affairs Award (the 11th to the 100th of the export and import performance in 2008).

The top 10 blue-chip manufacturers awarded the best export and import performance are: Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPCC), AU Optronics Corporation (AUO), Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO), China Steel, Powertech Technology Inc. (PTI), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), HTC Corporation, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation (FCFC), Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd. (SPIL) and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation
(NPC).

The top 10 blue-chip manufacturers awarded the best export growth rate are: Unitive Semiconductor Taiwan Corp. (UST), AboMem Technology Corp., Eaton PhoenixTec MMPL, Stanch Stainless, GIGA-BYTE Technology, Hai Kwang Enterprise Corporation, Taiwan INABATA SANGYO CO., LTD., Sony Taiwan Limited, TynSolar Corporation and Gintech Energy Corporation.

The blue-chip manufacturers awarded the best export growth rate in target markets are: Sony Taiwan Limited and HTC Corporation exporting to Japa