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Published Date: 2021-09-23
Switzerland plans
to import Taiwanese wax apples as a demonstration of its support and
friendship. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Switzerland
organized the plan after China's recent decision to halt imports of sugar and
wax apples from Taiwan.
TECO and the
Parliamentary Intergroup Switzerland-Taiwan met on Wednesday to evaluate the
feasibility of a new economic agreement between Switzerland and Taiwan. Marco
Chiesa, president of the Parliamentary Intergroup Switzerland-Taiwan, says he
hopes to deepen the relationship between the two countries so they can both
continue to prosper.
A professor at
Zurich University, Patrick Ziltener, says that if Taiwan and Switzerland sign a
free trade agreement, Swiss companies can enjoy reduced tariffs worth
approximately US$45 million per year, while Taiwanese exporters will see
reduced tariffs of over US$9.3 million. Ziltener says that if there is no trade
agreement between the two countries, Taiwan will lose a competitive edge in
exporting to the Swiss market. That's because other countries like Japan and
Korea already have much more favorable trade agreements with Switzerland.
Taiwan's representative to Switzerland, David
Huang, says that Switzerland's support can allow Taiwanese products to travel
further throughout the world, while also strengthening Taiwan and Switzerland's
political and economic partnership.