Agriculture and Food Agency Director-General Hu Jong-i (胡忠一) has held a forum in Pingtung County with orchid producers to discuss the possible impact of US tariffs on Taiwanese phalaenopsis, or moth orchids, an important export product to the US.
The government would take three approaches to boost the industry’s resilience, Hu said at the forum on Wednesday.
First, it would provide financial assistance by subsidizing interest on loans to cut costs, he said.
Photo: Wang Mei-hsiu, Taipei Times
Second, it would provide guidance in cultivation and production technology to boost competitiveness.
Third, it would encourage market expansion by increasing sales in the US and driving consumption in the domestic market, he said.
The government would also promote the use of moth orchids for religious ceremonies or in Matsu temples across Southeast Asia, Taiwan Orchid Breeders Society secretary-general Yang Yi-ping (楊怡萍) said.
Taiwan’s moth orchids are world-leading in terms of quality, variety and technical innovation, Yang said.
Ministry of Agriculture statistics showed that last year the nation’s orchid industry was worth NT$18.6 billion (US$570.4 million), of which exports accounted for NT$6.54 billion, Hu said.
Moth orchid exports totaled NT$4.94 billion, with US exports making up 40 percent at NT$1.97 billion, the ministry’s statistics showed.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced a 32 percent tariff to be levied on Taiwanese goods, although the tariff was put on hold for 90 days on Wednesday last week.
Taiwan and the US would hold additional talks on tariffs after representatives of both sides held their first meeting on April 11, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also announced an NT$18 billion support package for the agricultural industry, which might be adjusted depending on the outcome of the Taiwan-US negotiations.
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