TAIPEI: Taiwan’s premier on Sunday accused China of violating international trade rules and “discriminating” against the island after it halted more Taiwanese imports.
According to Taiwan’s finance ministry, Chinese customs authorities “suddenly suspended” imports of certain alcoholic beverages from the island on Friday.
It said the move was related to a regulation Beijing imposed on January 1 that requires all food and alcoholic beverage exporters to the mainland to be registered with Chinese customs. Some Taiwanese companies had still been under review.
Premier Su Tseng-chang accused Beijing of violating World Trade Organization (WTO) norms by “making its own rules” and “meddling in trade through administrative means.”
China “is especially tough on Taiwan and especially discriminates against Taiwan... They’ve asked Taiwan to do this and do that,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Taiwan plans to appeal to the WTO and will assist the affected businesses, he added.
Beijing claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be taken one day, by force if necessary.
It has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on the island since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, and has previously banned imports of other products from the island as relations deteriorated.
China slapped fresh bans on certain fruit and fish imports in retaliation for US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August, which prompted a furious response from Beijing and a flurry of military drills.
A year earlier, pineapple imports were halted after Chinese authorities claimed to have discovered pests in shipments, just as the annual harvest was under way
According to Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency, 11 out of 28 beer and distillery products registered by Taiwanese exporters had been suspended from Friday, citing Chinese Customs.
The affected companies include state-run Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp.
Shipments of 123 out of 354 other beverage items have also been halted, including those from Taiwanese food giant Uni-President Enterprises, the report said.
Taiwan premier slams China over fresh import bans
https://arab.news/6v7v3
Taiwan premier slams China over fresh import bans
- Premier Su Tseng-chang: Beijing violating WTO norms by ‘making its own rules’
US airlines and airports brace for a brutal travel day amid massive winter storm
- More than 14,000 flights have been canceled across the US since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware
LAS VEGAS: A massive winter storm set the stage for a brutal travel day Sunday, with airlines warning of widespread cancelations and delays at some of the nation’s busiest airports.
Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people — more than half the US population — in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, forecasters said the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.
More than 14,000 flights have been canceled across the US since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Nearly 10,000 of those were scheduled for Sunday.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport warned travelers on its website of widespread flight cancelations. Nearly all of its departing flights scheduled for the day — 420 flights, or 99 percent — have been canceled.
Significant disruptions have hit major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nation’s busiest airport, as well as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
American Airlines had canceled over 1,400 flights for Sunday, about 45 percent of its scheduled flights for Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each reported over 1,200 cancelations for the day, while United Airlines had more than 860. JetBlue had more than 570 canceled flights, accounting for roughly 71 percent of its schedule for the day.
My flight was canceled, now what?
If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. If you’re still at home or at your hotel, call or go online to connect to your airline’s reservations staff. Either way, it helps to also research alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.
Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge, but it depends on the availability of open seats.
Can I get booked on another airline?
You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including most of the biggest carriers, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then, it can be a hit or miss.
Am I owed a refund?
If your flight was canceled and you no longer want to take the trip, or you’ve found another way to get to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money — even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.
The airline might offer you a travel credit, but you are entitled to a full refund. You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.
