The ROC government’s policy of implementing direct flights and signing the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) has benefited Taiwan, according to the Council of Agriculture Jan. 2.
Taiwan’s agricultural exports to mainland China for the first 11 months of 2011 amounted to US$592 million, marking an increase of 24 percent, the COA stated.
As for the 18 categories of Taiwan agricultural exports included in the ECFA early harvest list, on which tariff reductions commenced starting 2011, total exports to the mainland for the January-November period last year hit US$107.07 million, up 135 percent from the previous year.
The COA was responding to media reports earlier the same day about the ECFA claiming that Taiwan’s agricultural trade deficit has worsened in the past year and that the figure is expected to top US$10 billion for 2011.
The council stated that agricultural imports into Taiwan between 2001 and 2010 remained at between 16.62 million metric tons and 19.14 million metric tons per year, while the figures of 18.57 million metric tons for 2010 and 16.04 million metric tons for January to November 2011 clearly illustrate that there has not been any abnormal increase in the volume of such imports.
Regarding the clear increase in the total value of agricultural imports in 2010, which stood at US$12.76 billion, over the figure for the previous year, the COA said this was due primarily to the steep rise in grain prices and was not related to the implementation of the ECFA.
The council said that besides working to expand Taiwan agricultural exports to the mainland Chinese market in recent years, it has also been actively doing so to other major export markets, including Japan, Southeast Asia and the U.S.
Agricultural exports totaled US$4.276 billion for the first 11 months of 2011, up by 17 percent over the previous year and by 39 percent over the year prior to that, the COA stated.
Taiwan agricultural exports to its main overseas markets also increased year on year for the January-November period in 2011, including Japan at 12 percent and to the U.S. at 14 percent.
The COA said its would continue to work to raise the profile and sales of Taiwan’s agricultural products aboard through various measures, including participation in international exhibitions, holding various trade activities, as well as inviting foreign buyers to Taiwan for procurement. (SB-HZW)