Taiwan experiences agricultural trade deficit
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-23 07:42
HONG KONG -- Taiwan registered an agricultural trade deficit of US$4.53
billion in the first nine months of this year, according to news reaching here
from Taipei Sunday.
According to local statistics department, the deficit was caused mainly by a
drastic drop in exports to Japan, the largest buyer of Taiwan's farm produce.
Data released by the department showed that, from January to September this
year, Taiwan exported US$2.51 billion worth of agricultural products, down 4
percent from the same period last year, and its imports grew 0.7 percent to
US$7.03 billion.
Although the trade deficit in the first nine months was up only US$0.16
billion over that in the same period of the previous year, exports to Japan fell
21.7 percent to a mere 0.72 billion U.S. dollars, the local statistics showed.
The department said that during the first three quarters, Taiwan's main
agricultural exports were aquacultural and dairy products totaling US$1.82
billion.
The main agricultural imports included grains and tobacco valued at US$4.17
billion, and meat and other farm animal products amounting to US$1.45 billion
U.S. dollars. These major items accounted for 79.9 percent of Taiwan's total
agricultural imports.
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