Nearly 3 Billion RFID Tags To Be Shipped In China By 2009

Scottsdale, AZ -- RFID technology has arrived in China in an unprecedented manner, with over 100 million tags shipped in 2005, and more than 2.9 billion tags forecast to be shipped by 2009, reports In-Stat. From 2005 through 2009, a major RFID application will be for human ID through China's second-generation Resident ID Card program, the high-tech market research firm says.

With a population of over 1.3 billion, the issuance of RFID-tag-inlaid Resident ID cards by the Ministry of Public Security is one of the biggest RFID projects in the world. More than one billion ID Cards will be issued before the end of 2008.

A recent report by In-Stat found the following:

• Beginning in 2008, RFID tags used for items will exceed those used for resident ID cards, making the retail industry the biggest consumer of tags.
• Incompatible RFID standards remain obstacles for an open supply chain that crosses industries and territories.
• Tag prices are still relatively expensive, ranging from a low of around US$0.15 to a high of over US$200.

Recent In-Stat research, RFID In China—From Human ID to Product ID (#IN0603216CSM), covers the growth of the RFID tag industry in China. It includes analysis of applications and standards, along with unit, revenue, and average selling price forecasts, segmented by category.

This research is available as part of In-Stat's China Semiconductor & Manufacturing Service which forecasts semiconductor consumption in crucial segments, including 3G mobile devices & infrastructure, IC cards, and consumer electronics devices. Semiconductor consumption for all of Asia is also addressed by country and an additional step toward presenting the whole picture is taken with an assessment of electronics manufacturers in China.

SOURCE: In-Stat