1. MOA Seeks to Ensure Taiwanese Farm Exports Receive ART Treatment in U.S. Market

Minister of Agriculture Chen Jun-ji said Taiwan will continue engaging the United States to ensure its agricultural exports receive preferential treatment under the Taiwan-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), following Washington’s shift to a temporary 15% global tariff under Section 122. Chen noted that under ART, Taiwanese farm products are entitled to a non-stacked 15% most-favored-nation (MFN) rate, with 261 items exempt from reciprocal tariffs — including 27 products granted zero tariffs and 72 safeguarded against future global changes. He said these terms offer Taiwan more stable and competitive access to the U.S. market. By contrast, previous temporary tariffs imposed a 20% rate stacked on MFN duties, raising costs for products such as edamame and Phalaenopsis orchids. The current Section 122 measure sets tariffs at 15% plus MFN duties for all countries for 150 days, placing competitors on equal footing but still above ART levels in some cases. Chen said Taiwan will use this period to consolidate its market position and seek full implementation of ART benefits to preserve its competitive edge.

2. Taiwan, EU Expand Mutual Recognition of Plant Variety Rights to Oncidium Orchids

Taiwan and the European Union have expanded their mutual recognition of plant variety test reports to include Oncidium orchids, building on a 2019 agreement covering Phalaenopsis. The new administrative arrangement was signed on Feb. 24 by Francesco Mattina, president of the EU’s Community Plant Variety Office, and Yao Shih-yuan, director-general of Taiwan’s Agriculture and Food Agency. The Ministry of Agriculture said the original accord allowed Taiwanese Phalaenopsis breeders to obtain EU plant variety rights without undergoing separate, time-consuming testing procedures in Europe, significantly reducing application time and costs. Following further technical consultations, both sides agreed to extend the mechanism to Oncidium in response to industry demand and to deepen Taiwan’s presence in the European market. According to the Agriculture and Food Agency, as of the end of January Taiwan had filed about 588 overseas plant variety right applications, securing protection in 306 cases. Phalaenopsis — including Doritaenopsis hybrids — accounted for the majority, with 489 applications and 245 approvals.