Taiwan is to submit a formal statement to Turkey, voicing concern and asking for exemption from the country’s recent increase in tariffs on a range of imports, the Bureau of Foreign Trade said yesterday.
The tariff hikes would adversely affect Taiwan, along with China, the US, Japan and other countries, because they do not have bilateral free-trade agreements with Turkey, bureau section chief Lin Ching-nan (林青楠) said.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
Turkey on Wednesday last week announced a decision to levy “additional customs duties” of up to 25 percent on 78 categories of imports with immediate effect, Lin said.
APPEAL
The bureau is to submit a statement to the Turkish government via the Taipei Economic and Cultural Mission in Ankara, saying that the additional customs duties would create unfair competition for Taiwanese industries and asking for an exemption for Taiwan, Lin said.
It is the eighth time in two years that Turkey has significantly increased tariffs on a range of goods entering its market, the bureau said.
AFFECTED COUNTRIES
The new tariffs do not apply to imports from member states of the European Free Trade Association or the EU, or from South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, since Turkey has free-trade agreements with those countries and regions, it said.
TRADE WITH TAIWAN
Trade between Taiwan and Turkey totaled US$1.827 billion last year, with Turkey importing US$1.56 billion worth of goods from Taiwan, while Taiwan’s imports from Turkey totaled US$267.44 million.
The bureau said US$11.34 million of the imports from Taiwan last year fell in the 78 categories that are now subject to higher tariffs.
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