Atemoya Export Dispute: Farmers Cite 29% Tariff Burden as Key Issue Over Politics

Taitung County Magistrate Rao Ching-ling’s participation in the Cross-Strait Forum via a pre-recorded video has sparked a political controversy. While government agencies investigate whether this violated the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, local farmers argue the political noise misses the point. Wang Chih-wei, head of a Taitung atemoya cooperative, stated that the current political bickering has no real impact on the industry because the fundamental obstacle is China’s 29% import levy—comprised of a 20% tariff and a 9% value-added tax.

Legislator Chen Ying emphasized that farmers should not become pawns in political maneuvering, noting that stable livelihoods are the primary concern. Meanwhile, former Taitung Mayor Lai Kun-cheng argued that Beijing's export decisions are pre-scripted regardless of local officials' participation. Contrasting viewpoints from KMT lawmakers Huang Chien-pin and Wu Hsiu-hua addressed recent remarks by the Mainland Affairs Council, defending the atemoya industry as a sophisticated economic crop shaped by decades of agricultural investment rather than a product neglected by domestic consumers.