Farmers Concerned Over US Citrus Tariff Cuts; Ministry of Agriculture Says Domestic Citrus Remains Competitive

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 22. Following the Taiwan-US Trade Agreement (ART), the import tariff on US citrus will be reduced from 35% to 10%. Citrus farmers in Taichung held a press conference today to express their concerns. The Ministry of Agriculture responded that domestic citrus still holds a competitive advantage and there is no direct competition between the two. According to the Ministry, US citrus is imported between March and May, which is not the main harvest season for Taiwan. Furthermore, the import price of US citrus, even after the tariff reduction, will be around 77 TWD per kg, significantly higher than the local price of about 45 TWD. The Ministry emphasized that domestic citrus is superior in freshness, flavor, and supply stability, and the impact on the domestic industry will be minimal. The Ministry will continue to promote production traceability and branding to consolidate the competitiveness of the domestic citrus industry.