Shiseido to Close Hsinchu Hukou Factory; Hsinchu County Government: Mass Layoff Notification Received

Central News Agency

(Central News Agency reporter Kuo Hsuan-Wen, Lu Kang-Chun, Hsinchu County 13th) Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido announced yesterday that it will close its subsidiary Taiwan Shiseido's factory in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County, in 2027. The Hsinchu County Government stated that it has received a mass layoff plan notification and will continue to monitor labor-management negotiations to protect workers' rights.

Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido announced yesterday that it will close the factory of its subsidiary, Taiwan Shiseido Co., Ltd., located in Hukou Township, Hsinchu County. The specific timeline is to cease production at the Hsinchu factory in the first quarter of 2027, followed by the closure of the factory in the second half of the same year.

Shiseido pointed out that the purpose of closing the Hsinchu factory is to optimize its production and logistics systems. After the Hsinchu factory closes, this part of the production will be transferred to its Nasu factory in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, and other locations.

Regarding the news of Shiseido's factory closure, Hsinchu County Councilor Lo Mei-Wen of the Labor Party stated in a media interview that Taiwan Bridgestone recently announced adjustments to its global operational strategy, ceasing production at its Hsinchu factory and initiating business transformation. Now, Shiseido has also announced that it will close its factory in Hukou Township in 2027.

Lo Mei-Wen said that traditional industries account for a high proportion in the Hsinchu Industrial Park, and now there are successive factory closures and capital withdrawals. This is not just a problem for a single company but a regional employment crisis. Taiwan's OEM-type traditional industries may continue to move overseas, leading to more similar situations.

The Hsinchu County Government Labor Department stated through text that it has received the company's mass layoff plan notification, and the layoff benefits plan complies with legal regulations. For autonomous negotiations between labor and management, it will actively intervene when appropriate or initiate dispute mediation procedures upon application to protect workers' legal rights.

The Labor Department also said that it will subsequently send a letter to the local employment service center to coordinate and enter the factory to provide affected workers with surveys of training needs, special employment matching, unemployment benefit consultation, and vocational training resources to assist workers in transitioning to new jobs as soon as possible.

The county government stated that it will promptly address any deficiencies in corporate negotiations and will closely monitor industrial trends with the central government, studying countermeasures to maintain stability in the employment market.

Reviewing the development history of Taiwan Shiseido, according to its official website, founder Li Chin-Chih established a temporary factory in the backyard of his residence on Ren'ai Road, Taipei City, in 1957. In 1959, Shiseido led the trend of department store cosmetics sales, entering Taiwanese homes with products like Junhong Honey Soap and Jiamei Yanrong Dew.

The 1980s were a critical turning point for Taiwan Shiseido's internationalization and modernization. The official website states that the Zhongli factory was established at that time, and a joint venture agreement was signed with the Japanese head office. The group continued to expand its presence, subsequently introducing brands such as Clé de Peau Beauté and IPSA, with the Hsinchu factory being completed and put into use in 2016. (Editor: Lin Shu-Hui) 1150513

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