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.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS