The legislature passed an amendment to the Foreign Trade Act (貿易法) yesterday that will require the government to set up a “Taiwan pavilion” or Taiwan exhibition zone at domestic and foreign trade fairs to help promote Taiwanese products.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Sing-nan (王幸南), who initiated the amendment, said Taiwanese businesses faced many challenges in attempting to attend international trade fairs abroad because of the time, money and manpower required to set up booths.
As per the amendment, the government is now obliged to help fund businesses in promoting Taiwanese products whenever possible, including by setting up a Taiwan pavilion or exhibition zone at trade shows or assisting local businesses in attending exhibitions abroad, he said.
The amendment should help meet these goals and boost the image of Taiwanese products by requiring that the government subsidize the activities of local companies, organizations and civil groups in promoting foreign trade, Wang said.
Meanwhile, the amendment will also require that traders of strategic high-tech products declare the end-users of the goods they ship to prevent them from being sold to terrorist organizations.
Violators will be subject to a maximum jail sentence of five years and a maximum fine of NT$1.5 million (US$46,000).
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