Honduras ends FTA with Taiwan after president visits China
Taiwan News | 15 June 2023
Honduras ends FTA with Taiwan after president visits China
By Matthew Strong
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Honduras told Taiwan it is ending their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), effective from the end of 2023, reports said Thursday (June 15).
The Central American country switched recognition to China in March, leaving Taiwan with 13 official diplomatic allies. Honduran President Xiomara Castro visited Beijing for the first time in June, issuing a joint statement that angered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
On June 9, Taiwan’s office at the World Trade Organization in Geneva received an email notification from the Honduran office that it was ending the FTA, MOFA said on Thursday. Its termination will take effect 180 days after the notification, per CNA.
MOFA Spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) told reporters they would sit down with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to discuss the impact. The two ministries will take steps to protect the rights of Taiwanese businesses, he said.
Coffee beans and frozen white leg shrimps were the main products Taiwan imported from Honduras, while Taiwan only saw 0.01% of its exports head to the Central American country.
