With Taiwan's WTO entry approved and membership just around the corner, one government official says a task force has to be immediately established to amend current regulations in line with membership, the local Chinese-language media reported yesterday.
Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi (
Lin therefore suggested that the Executive Yuan establish a cross-ministry task force headed by Vice Premier Lai Ing-jaw (
Lin and members of the Taiwan delegation are scheduled to return to Taipei this afternoon from Qatar.
According to a report from a unit of the Council of Agriculture, Taiwan imposes different tariffs on imported beef from New Zealand, Australia and Canada, the report said.
It's possible that Taiwan could be accused of not extending most-favored nation treatment to these countries once Taiwan enters the body next January, the report said.
"After entering the WTO, we have to fulfill the commitment of opening the market, according to agreements made earlier, since we give different treatment to beef imported from different countries. It is urgent that we make appropriate adjustments in the next month and a half," Lin said.
Representatives at the Australian Commerce and Industry Office and the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office could not be reached for comment.
Trade ministers of the 142 current WTO member countries gave formal approval for admission, on the two working parties' recommendation, at a 5-day conference in Doha, Qatar that ended yesterday. Taiwan now has to summon its legislature to ratify the entry package and then notify the WTO that this has been done.
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