TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A ceremony on Tuesday (April 13) officially kicked off the Lithuania Products Center in Exhibition Hall 1 at the Tapei World Trade Center.
Presiding over the event were Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花) and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) Chairman James Huang (黃志芳). During a press conference held before the opening, Wang said that Taiwan has deepened its cooperation with Lithuania in all areas, including industry, trade, technology, and professional exchanges, with trade volume growing by double digits.
Huang (left) and Wang. (CNA photo)
Wang said that last year, bilateral trade volume reached US$170 million. This was a 23% increase over the trade level seen in 2020.
She pointed out that Lithuanian beer and chocolate are particularly popular among Taiwanese. She added that Lithuania is also quite well known for its laser technology, which is an area in which Taiwan can further increase industrial cooperation.
Huang and Wang pointing to exterior sign of center. (CNA photo)
The minister revealed that a group of Taiwanese experts had recently visited Lithuania to evaluate the prospects of industrial cooperation. The group has just returned to Taiwan and is currently in quarantine, according to Wang.
Lithuania's new product center is currently displaying Lithuanian food products, laser technology, wood, amber, and biotechnology products from five major industries.
View of center's interior. (CNA)
The food products in the center include wine, beverages, biscuits, cereals, cooking oil, dried berries, flour, instant porridge, pasta, and skincare products.
Haung was cited by CNA as saying that Lithuanian goods began trending in Taiwan over the past year. He said that TAITRA has leveraged this interest in the Baltic country to introduce other products to Taiwan such as wooden floors, amber, and beauty products.
(TAITRA photo)
The products center currently features 200 items made from 22 Lithuanian brands, and the public is welcome to visit, said Huang.
According to the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Taiwan's main exports to Lithuania include integrated circuits, motor vehicle parts, bicycles, wheelchairs, and printed circuit boards. For its part, Taiwan imports wood, furniture, special purpose machines, mechanical appliances, mineral and chemical fertilizers, and textile materials from Lithuania.
