The nation's importers and exporters are worried about the world's overall trading environment this year amid soaring crude oil prices and the specter of terrorism, according to a business survey released last week.
Up to 52 percent of the polled companies said they were pessimistic about the global economic climate this year whereas some 43 percent remained upbeat, the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei (
The association polled around 2,500 companies in August and received 609 effective responses.
The survey also showed that 63.6 percent of the polled companies were concerned over China's pending trade liberalization measures.
To fulfil its commitment in accession to the WTO, China is slated to lift trading restrictions and bestow on foreign enterprises national treatment on trading rights by Dec. 11 this year, although the state retains strong control over tobacco, sugar, cotton and the coal business.
Meanwhile, 56.2 percent of the respondents said they would pay extra attention to any change on China's exchange-rate issue. China has pegged its currency to the US dollar at between 8.2 yuan and 8.3 yuan since 1997.
Other issues also considered by Taiwanese companies to have an impact on their businesses include terrorism (43.9 percent) and China's economic cooling measures (39.1 percent).
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