Export Market Guide - Taiwan
This content is restricted to wine exporters and levy-payers. Some reports are available for purchase to non-levy payers/exporters.
All regulatory information for exporting wine to Taiwan, including the regulatory environment, duties and taxes, and permitted additives.
Taiwan has traditionally held a monopoly on wine and tobacco heralding from Japanese occupation. The abolition of the wine and tobacco monopoly was reached by the Legislative Yuan in abolishing the ‘Provisional Rules on Tobacco and Wine Monopoly in Taiwan Province’. The result has been an economic liberalisation on wine trade in Taiwan. This also means wine is now subject to taxes such as customs tariffs, wine taxes, as well as business taxes.
Recently, the Ministry of Finance drafted new regulations to control wine production, wine hygiene, imports, marketing and advertising through the Tobacco & Wine Control Act, the Tobacco & Wine Tax Law and the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act. Importing controls are fairly stringent and exporters should be aware of these requirements before exporting to Taiwan. The following information should be used as a guide only.
There has been a significant move towards New World wines as consumers are attracted to wines of Australia, Chile and the USA. Easy to read labels and consistent quality and pricing has been the driver of this success. In restaurants frequented by young people, wines from USA, Chile and Australia seem to be increasingly more popular due to more acceptable prices and easy-to-read labels. Old World wines still remain the dominant import into the market, however the economic downturn saw an increase in sales of lower priced New World wines as retailers attempted to stimulate sales.
Advertising and promotion of alcohol is governed by the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act. Any advertising or promotion of alcohol must include conspicuous health warnings (at least 10% of the entire page) such as ‘excessive drinking endangers health’ or any other warning as listed under Reference A7 in Labelling Requirements.
There is significant potential for increased sales of Australian red wines and, to a lesser extent, white wines. The red wine market is expected to continue its growth in the face of a decline of non-grape wines. Australian wine is well positioned to capture a share of the Taiwan market.
Taiwanese Cultural Awareness Training
This virtual tailored workshop will provide you with a strong understanding of the cultural aspects of doing business in Taiwan and equip you with tools to succeed in doing business, building relationships and working with Taiwanese customers. You will also gain insight from members of the wine trade with experience in market who will discuss the main intercultural challenges they have faced, the barriers to effective communication and their top tips to help others succeed by doing business.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) is the competent authority responsible for food safety in Taiwan. The Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation 2015 (FSSA) is the principal food law underpinned by regulations, rules and ordinances concerning food safety and quality.
The Ministry of Finance is the competent authority for alcohol administration in Taiwan and oversees a number of laws governing alcohol including the Tobacco and Alcohol Tax Act 2010, Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act 2014, Enforcement Rules of the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act 2014, Hygiene Standards for Alcohol Products 2016 and the Administrative Regulations Governing the Inspection of Imported Alcohol.