Taipei: Taiwan is cracking down on China’s mislabeling practices, particularly the use of fake “Made in Taiwan” labels, amid ongoing discussions with the US regarding tariffs, according to the Taipei Times.
Minister of Economic Affairs JW Kuo stated that, under existing regulations, individuals involved in illegal transshipping could face fines up to USD 92,343. Kuo’s remarks came as Taiwan began discussions with the US regarding tariffs. There are worries that some may try to avoid high duties on Chinese products by mislabeling them as Taiwanese, a practice referred to as “origin laundering,” as reported by the Taipei Times.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has implemented four strategies to tackle origin laundering by keeping track of imports to detect anomalies, enforcing fines and penalties for those found guilty of origin laundering, enhancing investigations into unfair trade practices and boosting awareness and cooperation among businesses.
During the meeting, which addressed the expansion of domestic manufacturers into global markets, Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chiu Yi-ying and Lin Tai-hua inquired about the government’s actions to eliminate origin laundering, as cited by Taipei Times. Kuo informed a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee that the government is focusing on industries that import materials from China for processing, such as the Machine Tool Industry, a high-risk sector for origin laundering and the Fastener industry. The manufacturers are being advised to enhance inspections to prevent Chinese steel imports. (ANI)
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