A significant boost to the Paraguayan pork industry was announced today by Javier Giménez, Minister of Industry and Commerce, alongside José Chih-Cheng Han, the Ambassador of Taiwan, and
Tariffs on pork exports to Taiwan will now completely eliminated. Previously, the tariff was set at 12.5%, and the move to 0% is expected to increase production and create more jobs here in Paraguay.
Taiwan represents the largest export market for Paraguayan pork, with 90% of total exports headed to Taiwan, which was 7,689 tons in 2023. So far this year, 1,195 tons have already been sent, according to data from Senacsa, the National Service for Quality and Animal Health.
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.
“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 the whole 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.”
The Taiwanese ambassador praised the strength of ties between Taiwan and Paraguay. “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.
Some other items included in the deal are wheat flour, beef burgers, ethyl alcohol, textile garments, and spark plug wire sets used in transportation, along with reduced tariffs for natural honey and rice cookies.
Giménez expected zero-tariffs for poultry exports to be added soon, and reiterated that the Paraguayan government is very pleased with its relationship with “that brotherly country, which is the Republic of China, Taiwan.”
Paraguay is one of the twelve states that maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei.
