The government is weighing relief measures on carbon fees to help offset the impact of US tariffs on affected companies, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said yesterday.
Speaking at the 2025 Asia Carbon Pricing Forum in Taipei, Peng said options under discussion include discounts, installment plans and deferred payments.
The proposals aim to cushion the impact of the provisional 20 percent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump last month on imports from Taiwan, which have hit traditional industries harder than high-tech sectors.
Photo: Taipei Times
While traditional industries are expected to be most affected by the tariffs, high-tech companies such as semiconductor makers produce more carbon emissions and therefore “will have to pay more in carbon fees,” Peng said.
However, no decision has been made on any discount scheme, which would depend on the final tariff arrangements, he said.
Taiwan’s long-delayed carbon-fee program took effect on Jan. 1.
About 460 emitters that produce more than 25,000 tonnes of carbon annually are subject to the levy, which is to be collected next year and is expected to generate NT$4 billion to NT$4.5 billion (US$132 million to US$148.54 million) in revenue, he said.
Peng said that about 90 percent of those companies have submitted emissions-reduction plans, and about 20 percent aim to cut emissions enough to qualify for preferential rates of NT$50 or NT$100 per tonne of carbon dioxide.
However, tor the largest emitters, the standard rate could rise to as much as NT$300 per tonne, he added.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
RSS