Asunción, Agencia IP.- Paraguay reaches a historic milestone yesterday by confirming zero-tariff for pork exports to Taiwan. This will increase domestic production shipments and create job opportunities within this industry. It is worth mentioning that the sector previously paid 12,5% to enter the Taiwanese market.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Industry and Commerce (MIC), Javier Giménez, accompanied by the Ambassador of Taiwan, José Chih-Cheng Han, and representatives from the productive sector, who met with the President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, at Mburuvicha Róga.
Taiwan represents the largest export market for Paraguayan pork, with 90% of total exports. The opening of this market allowed shipments to reach 7,689 tons in 2023. So far this year, 1,195 tons have already been sent, according to data from the National Service for Quality and Animal Health (Senacsa, by its acronym in Spanish).
In 2023, this sector achieved a historic peak in pork exports to the Taiwanese market, registering a 541% increase in volume shipped compared to the total sent in 2022. These numbers demonstrate the positive commercial relationship between both nations, which contributes to bilateral economic growth.
Exports last year totaled US$19 million, according to Senacsa, and it is expected that the level of exports will reach US$100 million per year during the current government period, Minister Javier Giménez noted. He emphasized that this is the magnitude of the achievement reached by the private sector, supported by government measures that facilitate exports, job creation, and development.
Job opportunities
«We will create jobs with the increase in pork industries, which we estimate at 5,000 direct positions and another 20,000 indirect ones,» said the minister, highlighting that an extensive value chain will benefit «starting from agriculture, corn production, transportation, silos, and machinery, ending with containers of frozen meat on the shelves of the Taiwanese market.»
Giménez emphasized that this zero-tariff on pork exports will enable Paraguay to have «extraordinary competitiveness to export to Taiwan, and that will cause a tremendous impact.»
He stated that the government is very pleased with its relationship with «that brotherly country, which is the Republic of China, Taiwan.»
The Taiwanese ambassador, for his part, highlighted the government’s achievement. «This is a moment that we celebrate a lot because, after eight months since Mr. President took office, actually when he visited Taiwan, before taking office, when he was elected, he already put the issue on the table. So after eight months, we achieved this this morning in the fourth meeting of the Joint Commission of the Economic Cooperation Agreement between Paraguay and Taiwan,» he said.
Other 16 products
Similarly, this tariff benefit also extends to 16 other products, generating an important value chain at the national level that will benefit job creation.
Some other included items are wheat flour, beef burgers, ethyl alcohol, textile garments, and spark plug wire sets used in transportation, with reduced tariffs for Natural Honey and Rice Cookies. Giménez emphasized that zero-tariff for poultry exports are also expected soon.