The government will keep restrictions on imports of Chinese agricultural goods in place as needed. That was the word from agriculture ministry official Hsiao Tung-chung on Friday.
Taiwan currently bans the import of 830 Chinese agricultural products. Hsiao said that restrictions will remain on Chinese goods that could jeopardize Taiwan’s food security or damage the livelihoods of Taiwan’s farmers and fishermen.
Hsiao is involved in talks with China on a cross-strait trade in goods agreement. She said that China has abolished tariffs on dozens of Taiwanese agricultural goods since 2005. Thanks in part to this favorable treatment China has become the largest market for Taiwan’s agricultural exports. Taiwan’s agricultural trade surplus with China for 2015 had reached US$100 million by November.
But according to Hsiao, China has begun saying that Taiwan should treat its agricultural goods in the same way that other WTO members do. Hsiao said that China feels that the restrictions Taiwan has placed on its agricultural products are discriminatory.
Hsiao said that Taiwan will not open up to Mainland agriculture lightly. She said that the government will maintain a bottom line in negotiations with China. But she also said that the government has set aside funds to help Taiwanese farmers and fishermen impacted by agricultural imports from China.