Banned in mainland China, 3,000kg of Taiwanese sugar apples head to Brunei
- While shipments to Brunei remain relatively small, the move represents a ‘breakthrough’ in Taiwan’s search for new markets, diplomacy expert says
- Beijing halted imports of the fruit, also known as custard apples, in September 2001, but Taiwan authorities contested that the ban flouted international rules
Taiwan is shipping 3,000kg (6,613 pounds) of sugar apples to Brunei, a Southeast Asian market that the island’s officials hope can help offset losses from mainland China’s ban on exports of the sweet green fruit.
Taitung county, where sugar apples help drive the largely agricultural economy, said the shipments began on Sunday and would reach six supermarkets in the small, wealthy Southeast Asian sultanate by February 13.
“Taitung county magistrate Rao Ching-ling indicated that, although the volume isn’t large, it opens a path to a Southeast Asian market, and she hopes to keep up this effort and gradually expand in the Bruneian market,” the county said in a statement.
Taiwanese officials have urged domestic firms over the past seven years to steer business more toward the Southeast Asian market, with its roughly 670 million consumers, to diversify away from mainland China.
Sugar apples grow on 2,800 hectares (6,919 acres) of land in Taitung, according to the county’s agricultural figures. The data also shows that 4,355 tonnes of the fruit were exported worldwide between December 2021 and April last year.