Posted on 10/27/2013 10:26:29 PM PDT by TexGrill
For 40 years, Wu Wei-tung's family has operated a traditional Chinese medicine wholesale and retail business on Taipei's well-known Dihua Street.
The shop is stacked with cans and jars full of herbs, and it employs Mr Wu, his brother and his father.
But they fear it may soon have to shut down.
That is because a trade agreement, signed between Taiwan and mainland China earlier this year, could see Chinese medicine suppliers selling directly to shops in Taiwan.
Right now, businesses such as Mr Wu's import most of their medicine from the mainland. But Mr Wu says if the agreement is approved it will be hard for businesses like his to survive.
"Most Chinese medicine comes from China, so their costs and prices will definitely be lower than ours," he says.
"If they're allowed to import and do wholesale here, we will be driven out of business."
'More free trade'
This trade agreement is a good step forward - and we hope both sides will remove more trade obstacles in the future.”
Lion Travel Service The deal is the most significant of its kind signed between the two former rivals since 2010 - when they agreed to a pact reducing or eliminating tariffs on hundreds of types of exported products.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
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