Switzerland plans to import Taiwanese wax apples as a demonstration of its support and friendship. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Switzerland organized the plan after China's recent decision to halt imports of sugar and wax apples from Taiwan.
TECO and the Parliamentary Intergroup Switzerland-Taiwan met on Wednesday to evaluate the feasibility of a new economic agreement between Switzerland and Taiwan. Marco Chiesa, president of the Parliamentary Intergroup Switzerland-Taiwan, says he hopes to deepen the relationship between the two countries so they can both continue to prosper.
A professor at Zurich University, Patrick Ziltener, says that if Taiwan and Switzerland sign a free trade agreement, Swiss companies can enjoy reduced tariffs worth approximately US$45 million per year, while Taiwanese exporters will see reduced tariffs of over US$9.3 million. Ziltener says that if there is no trade agreement between the two countries, Taiwan will lose a competitive edge in exporting to the Swiss market. That's because other countries like Japan and Korea already have much more favorable trade agreements with Switzerland.
Taiwan's representative to Switzerland, David Huang, says that Switzerland's support can allow Taiwanese products to travel further throughout the world, while also strengthening Taiwan and Switzerland's political and economic partnership.