Taiwan condemns China's move to scrap tariff exemptions on agricultural products, calls decision "economic coercion

TAIPEI: Taiwan has strongly condemned China's move to end tariff exemptions on 34 agricultural and aquacultural products from Taiwan, according to a report by Central News Agency Taiwan.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) condemned the move by China that it will end tariff exemptions on 34 products from Taiwan, which will be effective from September 25, and called the decision "economic coercion."

The MAC in a statement released on Wednesday, said that China's decision to scrap tariff exemptions on the 34 products represents a "weaponisation" of trade and asserted that the decision "does not contribute to the long-term development of cross-strait relations."

"This only leads to resentment among Taiwan's farmers, fishermen and the general public, and does not contribute to the long-term development of cross-strait relations," the MAC said in the statement, according to Focus Taiwan.

Notably, in a statement released on Wednesday, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council of China had said that bans and restrictions imposed by the Taiwan region on the export of mainland products thwarted cross-Strait economic as well as trade cooperation.

The statement further said that import tariffs on such agricultural products shall be implemented under relevant existing provisions, according to a report by Xinhua.

The products affected by the end of import tariff exemption from September 25 include fruits -- coconuts, betel nuts, pineapples, guavas, mangoes, pomelos, papayas, peaches, plums, sugar apples, starfruit, wax apples, jujubes, persimmons, and loquats, the Chinese Ministry of Finance informed.

The affected products also include vegetables as well as seafood products like cabbages, cauliflowers, loofahs, bok choys, Chinese cabbages, bitter melons, onions, carrots, lettuce, taros, wasabi, pomfrets, mackerels, hairtails, flatfish, herrings, bass, shrimps and mussels, Focus Taiwan reported.

Notably, Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, but China views the island as part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, even by force if necessary.

Meanwhile, China has also said that it will take countermeasures against nine US military-industrial companies in response to the announcement of arms sales to Taiwan, according to a report by Taiwan News.

According to a foreign ministry statement, the nine US companies that will face countermeasures from Beijing are Sierra Nevada Corporation, Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, Cubic Corporation, S3 AeroDefense, Teko TCOM, Limited Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal, and Exovera.

The countermeasures came after the US announced on September 16 the approval of a possible sale of aircraft spare parts to Taiwan for USD 228 million (NT 7.26 billion), as per Taiwan News.