Five years after its implementation, the Tsai government’s flagship policy initiative aimed at boosting engagement with South and Southeast Asian countries has delivered some encouraging economic results. But observers say that to fulfill the policy’s goal of developing more comprehensive relations, a greater focus on people-to-people ties is needed. Taiwan’s Executive Yuan reported this September…
Ending The Year on A High Note Taiwan has managed to buck its severest coronavirus outbreak, coming out relatively unscathed in 2021. As proof, the island’s exports have continued to soar, reaching another record monthly high of US$40.14 billion in October. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Budgeting, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) in late November raised…
Taiwan Applies to Join Regional Trade Pact On September 22, the Executive Yuan announced that Taiwan had formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Taiwan submitted its application documents to New Zealand, which acts as the depositary for the trade bloc and whose government circulated the application among the…
Taiwan’s Economic Recovery Uneven The Directorate-General of Budgeting, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) in early August revised its 2021 GDP growth forecast to 5.88%, up 0.42 percentage points from the one it made in June, as sustained global demand caused July exports to reach a record US$37.95 billion. Imports in July grew by 41% year-on-year to…
Exports Increase, NTD Trends Down Despite the impact of Taiwan’s recent COVID-19 outbreak, the latest GDP forecast from the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) predicts an annual economic growth rate of 5.40% in 2021. This growth can mainly be attributed to Taiwan’s exports in goods, which have remained “strong and robust.” Exports in June…
A weekly snapshot of Taiwan business news stories brought to you by CommonWealth and AmCham Taiwan’s TOPICS Strong Demand for Technology Drives Increased GDP Growth Even as Taiwan has struggled to contain a local outbreak of COVID-19, the international community continues to have confidence in Taiwan’s economy. Taiwan Ratings, the Taiwan subsidiary of S&P Global…
China’s recent ban on pineapple imports from Taiwan provides an occasion for policymakers to rethink the island’s dependence on the Chinese market for agricultural exports. In late February, just as Taiwan’s pineapple season was set to begin, China’s General Administration of Customs announced that it would suspend the import of Taiwanese pineapples beginning March 1….
By Austin Babb and Jason Wu Exports Climb as FOREX Reserves Fall The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April raised its forecast of Taiwan’s 2021 GDP growth to 4.7%, much higher than the 3.2% figure it provided last October. The organization’s biannual World Economic Outlook report cited a “stronger than anticipated rebound” of the global…
Last month, Central Bank of the Republic of China (CBC) Governor Yang Chin-long spoke to lawmakers regarding the U.S. possibly labeling Taiwan a currency manipulator, one of the criteria for which is a trade surplus with the U.S. of more than US$20 billion. Yang noted that the U.S. market has become increasingly reliant on Taiwan…
Business & Economic Optimism Abound February was a down month for manufacturers in Taiwan this year, according to the results of a monthly business outlook survey conducted by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER). It makes sense: February is already the shortest month of the year. Add to that the fact that both the…
