Taiwan’s Hons offers the RS-C7115A, a remanufactured toner cartridge for
HP LaserJet-1200/1000 printers.
Mainland China has 160
toner cartridge manufacturers
There are about 200 printer consumable makers in mainland
China, more than 160 of which make toner cartridges. Generally, toner cartridges
comprise 5 percent to 35 percent of makers’ total printer consumable output.
Production is centered on Zhuhai, Guangdong province, where over 70 percent of
the mainland’s printer consumables are manufactured.
Macao-based Union Technology International (MCO) Co. Ltd
or Utec has a manufacturing partner in Zhuhai. Utec’s remanufactured toner
cartridges are compatible with over 200 printer models and account for about 70
percent of the company’s total revenue.
Zhuhai CTC Electronic Co. Ltd outputs 45,000
remanufactured toner cartridges per month. It claims that its toner cartridges
can be refilled thrice, compared to twice in most other models, without having
to replace any internal parts. It also makes Samsung-, Canon- and Epson-
compatible toner cartridges. It has applied for patents for the designs of its
toner cartridge parts.
Shanghai Anpoll Computer Accessories Co. Ltd adopts
make-to-order production mode for its remanufactured toner cartridges. Its
monthly production capacity is 30,000 units. The company expects its sales
revenue from toner cartridges to increase by 54 percent in 2005, reaching $2
million.
Eagle Flag Supply Ltd supplies remanufactured toner
cartridges for HP and Epson laser printers. Its revenue from toner cartridges
reached $250,000 in 2004. The Zhuhai-based company exports 90 percent of its
output to South Korea, Japan, Western Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the
United States.
Hong Kong’s Brighter manufactures color toner cartridges for HP Color
LaserJet 4600/4650 printers.
HP compatibles lead supply in Hong
Kong
Hong Kong has about 20 makers of toner cartridges. Most
firms have factories in Zhuhai, while others run manufacturing facilities in
Guangzhou, also in Guangdong.
Toner cartridges from Hong Kong support a wide range of
printer brands, including HP, Lexmark, Panasonic, Canon, Samsung, Sharp, Ricoh
and Xerox. However, the bulk of output consists of HP-compatible models.
Mipo International Ltd makes remanufactured toner
cartridges, but its exports are mostly compatible models. “In some countries in
South America and some states in the United States, the importation of
remanufactured toner cartridges is restricted. That is why we export compatible
toner cartridges there,” said Mipo’s Sales and Marketing Director Eva Hui.
Mipo produces between 40,000 and 50,000 units per month.
Its toner cartridges are suitable for low-end models of HP and Canon laser
printers. Its factory in Guangzhou employs 700 workers. The company requires a
minimum order of $10,000 per shipment and a 14-day delivery time.
The Brighter Co. has a monthly output of 60,000 units.
Seventy percent of its toner cartridges are compatible with HP laser printers.
Its major markets are the United States and Europe, with the majority of
shipments sold under its brand, Neotech. OEM buyers take up 15 percent to 20
percent of output. Brighter projects its output to grow from 10 percent and 20
percent this year.
A&J Technology Ltd supplies Print-Rite brand toner
cartridges. Nearly 80 percent of its output are HP compatibles. The company
expects a significant increase in its toner cartridge output in 2005. “Our
annual output could increase by 200 percent to 300 percent in 2005,” said
Assistant Marketing Manager Angie Yu.
Small
Taiwan supply base set to expand
Four companies make toner cartridges in Taiwan. These are
Utech Engineering and Development Corp., Hons Industrial Co. Ltd, Upsilon
Enterprise Co. Ltd and General Plastic Industrial Co. Ltd.
Utech Engineering produces toner cartridges that are
compatible with HP and Epson laser printers. Its monthly production capacity is
70,000 units. In Q4 2004, Utech Engineering set up a joint-venture company in
Taichung to produce remanufactured toner cartridges. Mass production was slated
for Q2 2005. Utech Engineering expects remanufactured toner cartridges to take
up 30 percent of its total printer consumable production in 2005. Hons
subcontracts production of its toner cartridges in mainland China. It is
considering to add one or two more subcontractors to increase its output.
Upsilon’s toner cartridges account for 40 percent of
company revenue and are exported worldwide. It has a 1,500- square-meter factory
in Taoyuan, Taiwan, where it employs 28 workers. Upsilon has invested $200,000
in a new factory that will be completed by July 2005. The new facility is
expected to increase Upsilon’s production capacity by 30 percent.
Makers release color toner
cartridges
Hong Kong companies were among the first to pick up on
the potential of color toner cartridges. Brighter has released 20 color models.
Color toner cartridges currently account for 5 percent of its total output. Mipo
introduced its color toner cartridges in Q4 2004. It plans to invest in a new
production line for color toner cartridges in 2005. A&J offers two color
toner cartridge models.
In mainland China, Eagle Flag has started the development
and production of color toner cartridges. It targets to develop six HP- and
Epson-compatible color toner cartridges in 2005. Taiwan’s Utech Engineering also
plans to produce remanufactured color toner cartridges in the near future.
Since most makers supply remanufactured products, few are
involved in new product development. Makers who produce new cartridges instead
of sourcing used units are spearheading product development and R&D. These
makers usually have molding and plastic injection capability to produce new
cartridges.
“The production of new toner cartridges is more
complicated. It takes a much longer time to release new cartridges after a new
laser printer is launched,” said Hui of Mipo.
The average turnaround time to develop and release a new
model ranges from 30 to 45 days. Large-scale mainland makers have their own
mold-making machines, enabling them to cast all molds in-house. This not only
ensures a shorter lead time, but also allows makers to develop a broader range
of toner cartridges.
A&J adopts a vertically integrated production system
at its factory in Zhuhai, which also houses its own injection and molding
facilities.
Brighter prefers to remanufacture used cartridges from
the original printer makers over new compatible cartridges. “The quality of
compatible toner cartridges still lags behind that of original brands,” said
Victor Hau, vice president of Brighter.
Component costs and remanufacturing procedures for toner
cartridges vary from maker to maker. Most companies source OPC drums from Japan.
Toner is imported from Japan, the United States, South Korea and Malaysia.
For its remanufactured toner cartridges, Taiwan’s Utech
Engineering replaces the OPC drum with a new unit. It is considering using
locally made toner to cut costs and bring down FOB prices. It claims that the
quality of Taiwan-made toner is comparable with US-made toner.
Hong Kong’s Mipo sources used toner cartridges mainly
from Europe and South America. Brighter uses brand-new drums, retainer blades
and toner.
Falling toner costs to pull down FOB
prices
Mainland China companies expect costs of imported toner
to drop in 2005. They hope that this will allow them to cut prices for black
toner cartridges by 10 percent and color models by 20 percent to 30 percent. FOB
prices of compatible, nonrecycled toner cartridges are expected to remain stable
due to rising cost of plastic. Remanufactured black cartridges are priced at $17
to $45 FOB. Color models are available for $40 to $220 FOB.
Eagle Flag’s ECP-C900 for the Epson C900 printer has an
indicated FOB price of $43 for a minimum order of 40 units. CTC’s CT-C7115A for
HP 1000 printers is $20 each for a minimum order of 500 units. The CT-C4092A for
HP 1100 printers is $19 per unit.
In Taiwan, FOB prices of toner cartridges in the $20
range have bottomed out and are likely to remain stable throughout 2005. Prices
of high-end models, however, may decrease by 5 percent. Unit prices from Taiwan
range from $20 to $46.
Hons’ RS-C7115A for HP LJ-1200/1220 printers is quoted at
$27.80 each, for a minimum order worth $5,000. The UTH-C7115 for HP LJ-1200/1220
printers from Upsilon is priced at $27 each for a 1,000-unit minimum order.
Hong Kong-made cartridges range from $10 to $50 FOB.
Note: All price quotes in this report are in US dollars unless otherwise
specified. FOB prices were provided by the companies interviewed only as
reference prices at the time of interview and may have changed.