The 16th session of the World Ceramic Tiles Manufacturers' Forum, which opened a day earlier and will run through Nov. 7, has brought more than 50 delegates from the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Ukraine, India and Indonesia to Taiwan to attend the forum.

The participants are focusing their discussions on how to design and promote "green" ceramic tiles that conform with the global trend of environmental protection but that also contribute to profit for the makers and help provide excellent home environments, according to the forum organizers.

The worldwide production value of ceramic tiles totals between US$80 billion and US$100 billion per year, with China, Italy, Spain, India, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico the major manufacturing countries.

Taiwan-made ceramic tiles, despite their relatively much smaller production volume -- averaging about US$400 million per year -- have gradually heightened their world status with increasingly improved quality and designs, the organizers said.

Despite the fact that ceramic tiles are one of the most important ingredients of interior design, the industry lacks universal standards of quality and specifications for manufacturers to follow.

The forum therefore serves as a platform on which manufacturers from around the world can exchange views on world trends, sales experiences and consumers' needs, the organizers said.

It is the first time such a global forum has been held in Taiwan, they added.

(By Deborah Kuo)