Products labeled “made in Taiwan” must be genuinely made in Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, vowing to enforce strict safeguards against “origin laundering” and initiate anti-dumping investigations to prevent China dumping its products in Taiwan.
Cho made the remarks in a discussion session with representatives from industries in Kaohsiung.
In response to the US government’s recent announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on its trading partners, President William Lai (賴清德) and Cho last week began a series of consultations with industry leaders nationwide to gather feedback and address concerns.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Taiwanese and US officials held a videoconference on Friday evening to discuss the tariffs, and both sides would continue negotiations based on the principle of mutual benefit, Cho said.
The US is not only concerned with “reciprocal” tariffs and non-tariff barriers, but has also emphasized the issue of “origin laundering,” Cho said.
“Origin laundering” refers to the deceptive practice of misrepresenting a product’s country of origin — often to evade tariffs or trade restrictions.
Photo: Screen grab from the Executive Yuan’s Web site
“Therefore, MIT [made in Taiwan] must be MIT,” Cho said. “Taiwan must uphold the lines of defense and not become a loophole.”
To address the issue, the government would reinforce a three-tiered defense strategy against origin laundering: prevention in advance, tightening inspections and imposing strict penalties for offenders, he said.
Cho said Taiwan must guard against becoming a victim of origin laundering and called on companies to work closely with the government to safeguard the nation’s economic security.
Strengthening compliance and transparency is key to earning greater trust and support from international partners amid the ongoing restructuring of the global trade order, he said.
Cho warned that following the US decision to raise tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent, there is a risk that Chinese products could be dumped at low prices into other markets.
To protect the competitiveness of local industries and ensure the safety of consumer goods, the government would launch anti-dumping investigations, he added.
Taiwan is a leader in advanced technology, exporting a wide range of sensitive high-tech products, Cho said.
As export controls play a significant role in global economic security, Taiwan must do its best in export controls to claim its rights in negotiations with the US, he said.
On the issue of non-tariff barriers, Cho said the government and legislature would carefully discuss the issue and conduct a thorough review to determine which barriers could be lifted, while adhering to the principle of “protecting the people’s food safety and trading market order,” he added.
During a separate meeting with edamame producers and traders in Pingtung County yesterday, Cho said the Cabinet has postponed by a week the release of details of a NT$88 billion (US$2.72 billion) support package aimed at mitigating the impact of higher US tariffs on Taiwan’s economy.
Due to uncertainty surrounding the US position, Cho said ministries and agencies need more time to finalize the package’s details, including how subsidies will be allocated across various industries.
Officials in Washington and Taipei began talks via video conferencing on Friday regarding the “reciprocal tariffs.”
The “reciprocal tariffs” announced for Taiwan are set at 32 percent, higher than neighboring economies, including the 24 percent import duties set for Japan, and the 25 percent planned for South Korea.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS