US tangerine imports would not affect the domestic citrus industry given their low volume, staggered selling seasons and marked price difference, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday.
The ministry was responding to fears that domestic production of citrus fruits would be affected by cheap, imported US tangerines, as the duty rate could be sapped from 35 percent to 10 percent under the Taiwan-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.
Agriculture and Food Agency data showed that annual tangerine import volume has averaged 6,081 tonnes over the past five years.
Photo: Ou Su-mei, Taipei Times
Of the 6,081 tonnes of tangerine imports, 1,115 tonnes were from the US, accounting for only 1 percent of domestic consumption.
Tangerines mainly include ponkan or sugar tangerine, and are different from citrus hybrids such as murcott orange, the ministry said.
US tangerines are imported to Taiwan from March to May annually, which is not the primary harvest season of domestically grown tangerines, it said.
That shows that US tangerines are imported to fill the gap in the market and would not directly compete with domestically grown tangerines, the ministry said.
The competitiveness of US tangerine imports would be limited due to a marked price gap, it said.
The price of US-grown tangerines is about NT$94 per kilogram including tax, the ministry said.
It would remain at about NT$77 per kilogram, even if the duty rate is lowered to 10 percent, it said, adding that the price would be far higher than the domestic farm-gate price of NT$45 per kilogram.
The ministry said Taiwan-grown tangerines such as ponkan have a significant competitive edge in terms of freshness, flavor and supply stability.
The market supply is sufficient and people in Taiwan prefer seasonal fruits grown locally, it said.
US tangerine imports must also compete with citrus fruits imported from countries such as South Africa or Australia, the ministry said.
The duty rate on imported tangerines remains at 35 percent, as the agreement has not yet been sent to the legislature for review, the ministry said, adding that it would continue to promote traceability certification, expand domestic marketing and establish high-quality production areas.
The goal is to enhance the competitiveness of locally grown citrus fruits and ensure farmers’ income, it added.
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