This turtleneck cardigan from mainland China's Weihai Bettex has an elasticized waistband and cuffs, and wooden buttons. Made of acrylic, it is priced at $6.

Suppliers of women's cardigans in Taiwan and mainland China are moving upmarket amid intensifying competition and rising production costs.

Taiwan's cardigan exports in the first half of 2007 fell 8.73 percent compared with the same period the previous year. This was a result of buyers showing a greater preference for the mainland's lower-priced products. Under efforts to stay afloat, companies in the island are now focusing R&D on value-added models, with recent releases targeting the midrange and high-end markets.

Mainland suppliers, meanwhile, are striving to keep their edge by likewise enhancing R&D and productivity. As part of their strategy to offer more upscale designs, they are investing in better equipment.

Companies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, in fact, are launching more designs made of merino wool, angora, cashmere and mercerized cotton. In addition, Lycra is incorporated for better stretch, while Lurex yarn adds a metallic effect. To resist shrinkage and absorb moisture better, suppliers also employ Tencel.

Polyester, rayon and acrylic are adopted as well.

Taiwan-made cardigans, which come in a yarn gauge of 3 to 18GG, are embellished with faux pearls, acrylic beads, bows, pompoms and synthetic leather motifs.

To keep costs down amid the upmarket shift, the island's suppliers are downsizing their local factories. Many are also setting up large plants in the mainland, Burma and Vietnam where labor and material costs are lower.

	Mainland China's Suzhou Feiyan offers this women's cardigan in silk, nylon, cotton and spandex. Floral embroidery and acrylic beads adorn the model, which is priced at $17.60.

The latest releases include double-breasted models with a slightly tapered waist. Others have polka dots, striped patterns and jacquard motifs, or are embellished with synthetic leather strips, tassels, ruffles and pompoms.

Cardigans in 3 to 16GG are made of wool with cotton, rayon, acrylic and polyester blends. Spandex is added for stretch, and Lurex yarn lends a shiny effect to designs.

The company sources materials locally and from Taiwan-invested plants in the mainland. To ensure quality, these are required to come with safety data sheets.

At Silver Knitting Co., women's knitted garments make up the majority of output. The R&D team creates 20 cardigan models monthly.

Materials come with safety data sheets and are mainly sourced from local suppliers, most of which carry ISO certification.

Mountex Knitting Corp.'s product development team comes up with 300 designs annually. Wool is purchased from Italy and Spain.

All three of these companies have established offshore factories under cost-saving efforts.

Hsin Ling's mainland plant in Fujian province is equipped with manual and semiautomatic flat knitting, linking, crocheting, cutting and sewing machines. Crochet work and embroidery by hand are subcontracted to partner factories.

Products are inspected in-house prior to packing. They are exported mainly to the US and the EU.

Silver's mainland plant in Shanghai has manual and semiautomatic flat knitting machines, and linking and sewing machines. The company also subcontracts some production processes to factories in Burma and Vietnam.

Mountex owns facilities in the mainland and Thailand, with a total workforce of 1,000. These plants have manual and semiautomatic flat knitting, cutting, sewing and embroidering machines.

As for mainland-based suppliers, Zhejiang Orient Multitex I/E Co. Ltd offers cardigans in angora and merino wool with silk, ramie, rayon, spandex and nylon blends. Prices start at $10.

Products comply with the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, and are exported to the EU and the US. Zara, El Corte Ingles, Tommy Hilfiger and Target are among the company's major clients.

ISO 9001:2001-certified Weihai Select Garment Co. Ltd offers 1.5 to 12GG models made of cashmere, acrylic, viscose, ramie and cotton. These are shipped mainly the US, Europe and Japan.

The company's 120 QC inspectors monitor product quality, with further tests done by SGS.

At Weihai Bettex International Trading Co. Ltd, women's cardigans make up 30 percent of output. Products come in wool, acrylic, ramie and cotton.

The company exports largely to Spain, Germany, Italy, Australia and the US, counting Wal-Mart and H&M among its major clients.

Suzhou Feiyan ClothingFty uses wool, angora, cashmere, cotton and rayon for cardigans. Lycra is incorporated for better stretch, while Tencel is used to improve shrink-resistance and moisture-absorption.

The EU, the US, Canada and Japan are the export markets.

Hangzhou Topstar Lace Co. Ltd turns out 500,000 cardigans monthly. Products come mostly in angora and organza, and are shipped to Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and Southeast Asia.

Silk, angora, wool and acrylic are among the materials adopted by Jiaxing Mengdi Import & Export Co. Ltd. The ISO 9001:2000-certified company sends its products to Intertek and SGS for inspection.