In the aftermath of Beijing’s 2021 ban on Taiwanese pineapples, China has been limiting imports of Taiwanese fruits. Also, cross-strait tensions have increased, in what appears to be a move to influence the farm vote in favor of the Kuomintang Party (KMT). The KMT is widely seen as pro-Beijing and thus more likely than the ruling Democratic Progressive Party to secure a reversal of the bans, even though the DPP is traditionally strong in agricultural areas.
All in all, these fruit exports have become a key issue in Taiwan’s January presidential election. However, electoral success by the KMT is no guarantee that China will open its markets. Nor is it clear that, if the bans were reversed, Chinese consumers would buy products such as atemoyas and pomelos in pre-pandemic quantities.
Taiwan’s reliance on the Chinese market has dropped significantly. China accounted for 12.9% of Taiwan’s fruit exports in 2022, down from 22.9% in 2018. In the same period, the share of Taiwanese fruit sold to China dropped to 3% from 70%.
Source: voanews.com
