Last week the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Vietnam-based online retailer Tiki, represented by council executive president Walter Yeh and Tiki founder and chief executive officer Son Tran, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly promote the “Taiwan Pavilion” on Tiki’s e-commerce platform. The memorandum also waives store opening fees and slotting fees for Taiwantrade members. It is hoped the agreement will help promote cross-border e-commerce and bilateral trade between the two countries, and give Taiwanese exports a boost.
According to TAITRA chairman James Huang, Vietnam has a population of nearly 100 million people, and Vietnamese hold Taiwanese products in strong regard. Huang says that although Tiki is the second-largest e-commerce platform in Vietnam, its level of customer service, including delivery and sales, has an excellent reputation there. The bilateral agreements were signed in only two weeks, and Huang hopes Taiwan will now have further access to Vietnam’s domestic market.
According to TAITRA, the “Taiwan Pavilion” was opened on Dec. 18 last year and currently features mainly sports goods, mother and baby household items and electronic consumer goods, with a total of 600 items on sale by 29 vendors. In the future, TAITRA hopes Taiwanese vendors can move into other markets such as beauty products and food. Huang says that in order for Taiwanese companies to take on the domestic market, in addition to helping businesses to overcome challenges in local warehousing, logistics and customs practices and procedures, TAITRA has already formulated a strategy with private enterprises and is planning an advance roadmap to move into ASEAN.
Photo: CNA
照片:中央社
(CNA, TRANSLATED BY EDWARD JONES)
中華民國對外貿易發展協會與越南本土B2C電商平台Tiki,上週由外貿協會秘書長葉明水與Tiki創辦人暨執行長陳山代表,共同簽署合作備忘錄,將一同推動Tiki台灣館,並提供台灣經貿網會員免開店費、免上架費優惠,期待透過跨境電商,促進雙邊經貿往來、強化台灣出口。
外貿協會董事長黃志芳表示,越南人口將近一億,而且對台灣的產品非常喜愛,Tiki在越南雖然是第二大的電商平台,但不過在客服、送貨、售貨等服務面向,信譽度非常高,這次兩個星期就促成雙方簽署,未來可望再前進越南內需市場。
貿協指出,Tiki台灣館在去年十二月十八日開館,目前主要商品為運動用品、母嬰家居用品、3C消費性電子產品等,共有二十九家廠商、六百項產品上架,未來可望搶攻美妝及食品等市場。黃志芳表示,要進軍內需市場,除了解決倉儲、物流、通關等問題外,近期也已經跟民間企業共同制定策略,規劃前進東協的路徑圖。
(中央社)
FOLLOW UP
讀後練習
Vocabulary Extension
Bilateral trade refers to the exchange of goods or services between two countries. To facilitate increased trade and investment, bilateral trade partners agree to reduce or eliminate tariffs, duties and other trade barriers.
Memorandum of understanding — an informal, non-binding agreement between two or more parties that sets out each parties’ requirements and responsibilities. An MOU is usually the first step toward the signing of a formal contract.
Slotting fee — a fee traditionally charged by retailers to companies or manufacturers for the privilege of being allowed to place their products on the shelves of the retailer’s stores (or in the case of an online retailer, on their Web site).
(Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
The strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years killed at least 16 people and damaged dozens of buildings, but the destruction was largely contained thanks to decades of preparedness work. Taiwan sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity along the Pacific Rim, and — much like neighboring Japan — has a long history of catastrophic quakes. How does April 3 compare with other recent quakes? The April 3 earthquake, which measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale, was felt across Taiwan. It was the most severe since a 7.6 magnitude quake in 1999 killed
Around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in June, the streets of Taiwan are filled with the delightful aroma of zongzi, a traditional snack made of sticky rice wrapped in leaves. The leaves are folded into a cone and then filled with sticky rice and other ingredients such as braised pork belly, peanuts and salted duck egg yolks. The filled leaves are then tightly tied with kitchen twine and ready for cooking. 每到六月端午時節,街頭巷尾就會飄出粽子的香氣。粽子是將糯米包進粽葉的傳統美食,先將粽葉折成圓錐狀塞入糯米,以及紅燒肉、花生、鹹鴨蛋黃等配料,用棉線綁緊後即可烹煮。 Dragon Boat Festival (n. phr.) 端午節 aroma
Everyone has seen a piece of fruit turn brown after being cut. Have you ever wondered why that happens? It is a common phenomenon that occurs due to a chemical reaction called enzymatic browning. The appearance, flavor and nutritional value of the fruit are all affected by this reaction. Some fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, avocados and peaches, are more prone to enzymatic browning than others. These fruits contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO for short. __1__ This causes a chain of chemical reactions that ultimately transforms the phenolic compounds into
There are several methods to prevent or slow down enzymatic browning in fruit. __3__ This lowers the pH level of the fruit tissue, causing the PPO to be far less active. Another method is to store the fruit in an airtight container or to wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Doing this will reduce its exposure to oxygen. __4__ Although fruit that has undergone enzymatic browning may look less appealing, it is still safe to eat. However, by using one of these simple methods, you can enjoy fresh-looking fruit for a longer period. 有一些方法能避免或減緩水果的酶促褐變。其中一個有效的方式就是在切片水果的表面塗上酸性物質,像是檸檬汁或醋。這樣做能降低水果組織的酸鹼值,讓 PPO 更不為活躍。另一個方式是將水果存放在密封的容器內,或用保鮮膜將其緊緊包住。這樣做會減少水果與氧氣的接觸。快速蒸一下切片水果或將其短暫浸泡在滾水中也能使PPO失去活性,並終止 PPO 與空氣的作用。 雖然經歷酶促褐變的水果可能看起來較不吸引人,但仍然可以安全食用。然而,藉由採用這些簡單方法中的其中一個,你就能在更長的一段時間享用看起來新鮮的水果。 What Did You