Xiamen largest camera production base
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-03-27 10:34

With the operation of a new factory, the US-based Eastman Kodak has built the world's largest disposable camera production base in Xiamen of East China's Fujian Province.

The new factory, covering 60,000 square meters, was backed up by investment of US$20 million. The whole production base,including an existing factory which was built in 2001, is now capable of producing 100 million disposable cameras every year.

Antonio Perez, president and CEO of Kodak, said that the building of the new factory indicated their confidence in China's emerging market for the imaging industry. Though facing a challenge from digital cameras, Perez predicted a 7 to 10 percent of growth rate in disposable camera business.

He noted that the demand for disposable cameras in China is relatively low. Only one percent of cameras produced in the base are sold in China now. The majority are exported to the United States, Japan and European countries. Export volume reached US$100 million last year.

In addition, Kodak has been setting up a recycling network across the world to make use of the disposed cameras. So far, some 80 to 85 percent of disposable cameras have been recycled.

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