Taiwan donated a total of US$700,000 to two sub-funds of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum earlier this month to help member states better manage transmittable diseases using digital technology, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs May 26.
Export orders in Taiwan grew in April, up 2.3 percent year on year to US$38.53 billion, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs May 20. Among the country’s main export sectors, orders for information and communication technology products posted the strongest growth, surging 18.6 percent to US$12.49 billion courtesy of robust demand for telecommunication items during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local surgical face mask manufacturers have seen a spike in orders as a ban on open market surgical mask sales that has been in place since late January is set to be lifted on June 1. Taiwanese mask brand CSD said it has received a huge number of inquiries since Monday, after the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said the ban could be lifted because Taiwan now has enough masks to meet its daily needs, especially as the COVID-19 threat eases.
The tariff on imported face masks will be re-imposed in Taiwan effective Wednesday, after being temporarily lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Tuesday. The tariff on such items will return to 7.5 percent, while a 10 percent import tax will continue to be charged on the ingredients of pharmaceutical alcohol, half the usual 20 percent, until Aug. 26, according to the MOF's Customs Administration.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted the global economy by disrupting the supply chain while freezing the market demand. Taiwan, as a global technology hub, is simultaneously transforming and upgrading its technology industry to adjust to the changes, aiming to work hand in hand with the international community amid and post COVID-19.
Taiwan must seize the opportunity to work with major economies seeking to relocate global supply chains outside of China amid the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic scholars suggested as President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) begins her second term on May 20. The pandemic, which has made many countries aware of their growing economic dependence on China for goods in several critical sectors, has led to calls to delink global supply chains of major industries from China.
After three months of live online learning, the TTAIC (Thailand-Taiwan AI College) of the IDB (Industrial Development Bureau) held an online graduation and awards ceremony on the 7th of May. Executive Yuan Digital Minister Audrey Tang, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand Representative Chen-yuan Tung, the Director General Jang-hwa Leu of the IDB, and the General Manager Matrix Chang of Advantech were all invited to give their regards.
Water saving is to love the earth! Water Resources Agency, MOEA, has spared no effort to promote water saving, such as, meticulous water-saving management, counseling manufacturers to strengthen water-saving, promoting the popularization of water-saving products, Legislation passed that toilets and washing machines cannot be sold without a water conservation mark.
People in Taiwan rate the United States more positively than China, by more than 30 percentage points, a survey released by the nonpartisan American think tank Pew Research Center on Tuesday showed. About 68 percent of respondents held a favorable view of the U.S., while 35 percent had a similar view of China, according to opinion polling conducted in Taiwan by the Washington D.C. based institution from Oct. 16 to Nov. 30 last year.
Taiwan has been ranked as the third-best destination for investment in the latest U.S. Business Environment Risk Intelligence (BERI) report, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Monday. In Asia, Singapore tied South Korea in fifth place for overall POR, followed by Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia, which ranked 11th, 14th and 18th respectively. India and Vietnam tied for 20th, and China ranked 23rd.
