TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will spend NT$200 million (US$6.67 million) promoting Taiwan food exports to soften the impact of sanctions by China, reports said Thursday (Aug. 11).

Over the past year, Beijing has banned the imports of several types of food from Taiwan, from pineapples and grouper fish to biscuits. The bans have led to Taiwan exporters diversifying their markets, with Japan, Southeast Asia, and the United States as new destinations for their products.

In the latest move, the MOEA said on Thursday its new project, dubbed “Taiwan Food World GO,” was likely to create US$60 million worth of business for exporters while encouraging a larger scale of diversification, CNA reported. The program included assistance with marketing, advice, and funding.

A total of 13 countries, including the U.S., Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea would be listed as priority targets under the program, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) told reporters. A bakery festival, special online sales at top websites in South Korea and Singapore, as well as news conferences would help Taiwan exporters reach more than 50,000 overseas consumers, according to the MOEA.