BEIJING — China will begin imposing tariffs on agricultural imports from Taiwan in retaliation to similar moves by the island’s government, Chinese state media said Wednesday.
From September 25, 34 Taiwanese agricultural products, including fresh fruit, vegetables and aquatic products, will be subject to customs duties, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing a government committee.
“Bans, restrictions and other discriminatory measures imposed unilaterally by the Taiwan region on the export of mainland [Chinese] products have severely hindered cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation,” CCTV said.
State news agency Xinhua said that “in view of this, the State Council’s Customs Tariff Commission recently issued a notice deciding to stop implementing the policy of exempting 34 items of Taiwanese agricultural products from import tariffs.”
The reports provided no details on the tariffs’ level.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has ramped up military, political and economic pressures on the island in recent years.
Tropical fruit from Taiwan are highly prized in China, a major outlet for the island’s producers.
Chen Binhua, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Bureau, told Xinhua that tariff exemptions on Taiwanese agricultural and aquatic products date back to 2005 and 2007, and benefited Taiwanese producers.
But, he added, relations between Beijing and Taipei have worsened since Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te took office in May.
Beijing regards Lai as a “dangerous separatist” and denounced his inaugural speech as a “confession of Taiwan independence.”
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