Taiwan's President Proposes US Trade Pact: Zero Tariffs Sparks Farmer Concerns

Farmers Fear Economic Fallout as President Lai Ching-teh Pursues Zero-Tariff Trade with the US.

President Lai Ching-teh, on the 6th of this month, delivered a video address outlining negotiations with the United States, aiming to establish "zero tariffs" between Taiwan and the US. The initiative follows the current 32% tariff imposed by the US on certain Taiwanese goods.

However, the proposal has raised significant concerns among Taiwanese farmers. They fear that a zero-tariff policy for imported agricultural products would severely impact domestic industries. This issue is slated to be discussed at the board of directors' meeting of the Central Livestock Association, where demands will be made to exclude agricultural and livestock products from the zero-tariff agreement.

“Taiwan’s agriculture has already been sacrificed once during WTO accession, and it cannot be sacrificed again,” stated Chiu Shih-en, Chairman of the National Chicken Association. He expressed deep concerns within the poultry and livestock industries, noting the anxiety caused by the prospect of zero tariffs. Currently, the tariff on imported eggs is 30%, while white chicken meat faces a 20% tariff. If import volumes surpass the previous year's levels, an additional 6% self-defense tariff applies, bringing the total tariff on white chicken meat to 26%.