TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Legislators from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) issued urgent calls Friday (April 11) for heightened vigilance against Chinese products being routed through Taiwan to disguise their origin, a practice they warn could imperil both local manufacturers and crucial trade ties with the United States. During a legislative session, Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) pressed Taiwan's Customs Administration (關務署) to implement more rigorous inspection protocols for goods arriving from China, emphasizing that such measures are essential to preserve the integrity of Taiwan's increasingly valuable trade relationship with Washington.
The concerns raised by legislators reflect broader economic tensions resulting from President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) strategic reorientation of Taiwan's trade relationships away from dependence on China toward stronger ties with democratic nations in North America and Europe. Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) acknowledged this diplomatic pivot has yielded diplomatic dividends but cautioned that many Taiwanese industries are experiencing considerable adjustment difficulties. Ho stressed the urgency of government intervention to support struggling businesses before they sustain irreparable damage, noting that the administration's NT$88 billion (US$2.68 billion) subsidy fund designated for affected industries could be depleted before achieving its intended stabilizing effect.
The parliamentary session grew more urgent as Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) presented troubling statistics from Taiwan's Ministry of Finance (MOF, 財政部), the government department overseeing taxation and customs, showing a steady rise in fraudulent product origin labeling since September 2018. Lai implored officials to implement more stringent enforcement mechanisms to preserve Taiwan's reputation for regulatory compliance with international partners, particularly the United States. His colleague, Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘), identified a specific vulnerability: Taiwanese companies with manufacturing facilities in China potentially serving as conduits for origin fraud. Tsai cautioned that Chinese products merely passing through Taiwan for superficial repackaging before export to America could trigger devastating retaliatory tariffs against legitimate Taiwanese exports if discovered by U.S. trade authorities. ★