IMPORT OF PEPPER BY TAIWAN

Taiwan, a country in East Asia, have actively imported pepper from various pepper producing countries for domestic consumption or re-export purpose.

In 2018, Taiwan was reported to have imported a total 3,354 Mt of pepper which 96% or 3,227 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper while 4% or 127 Mt of it was ground pepper. The average import of pepper by Taiwan in 2018 was reported to be 280 Mt per month with the highest quantity recorded in October with 366 Mt. The total expenditure of pepper import by Taiwan was reported to be as high as USD 15.1 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Taiwan at USD 4,267 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 10,556 Per Mt for ground pepper.

Year 2019 saw an increasing trend in term of quantity of pepper imported by Taiwan. Taiwan was reported to have recorded a total of 4,406 Mt which 98% or 4,313 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper and 2% or 93 Mt of it was ground pepper. Thus, recording an increase of 31% when compared to the same period in 2018. The average pepper imported by Taiwan was reported at 367 Mt per month which peaked in September with 636 Mt. In accordance with increasing in terms of quantity, Taiwan’s expenditure of pepper import was reported with an increase of 5% to a total of USD 15.8 Million, Thus, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Taiwan at USD 3,461 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 10,307 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 19% and 2% respectively as compared to 2018.

As of April 2020, Pepper import by Taiwan was reported with a decrease of 9% as compared to the same period in 2019, totaling at 1,137 Mt which comprised of 97% or 1,099 Mt of whole pepper and 3% or 38 Mt of ground pepper. The total expenditure of pepper import by Taiwan as of April 2020 was reported with a decrease by 21% when compared to the same period in the previous year, totaling at USD 3.7 Million. Thus, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Taiwan at USD 3,131 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 8,014 per Mt for ground pepper.

The top five countries of origins of Taiwan’s pepper as of April 2020 were reported to be Indonesia with 455 Mt (an increase of 5% as compared to the same period in 2019), Viet Nam with 416 Mt (an increase of 40%), Malaysia with 216 Mt (a decrease of 55%), China with 26 Mt (an increase of 13 Mt) and India with 16 Mt (an increase of 89%). The decreased of Taiwan import from Malaysia could be contributed to Taiwan preference of importing from other origins countries which offered more competitive price such as Viet Nam (an increase by 119 Mt as compared to the same period in 2019) and Indonesia (an increase by 23 Mt).

(VPA & IPC)