Newsletter
TAIWAN CONSIDERS ACTION TO LESSEN IMPACT ON INDUSTRY OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires signatories (currently numbering 161) to restrict the export to non-signatories of chemical substances which could be used to manufacture chemical weapons (category two chemical substances) starting from 29 April 2000. From 29 April 2002, signatories will be prohibited from shipping category three chemical substances to non-signatories as well as obligated to take other measures for control of the substances.
Because Taiwan is not a signatory to the CWC, there is the concern in Taiwan that local industrial production might be impacted in the areas of medical treatment, specialty chemicals, tolymer material, petrochemical intermediate, agriculture, pesticides, plastics, dyes, solvents, paints and rinses. Therefore, the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has formulated the following possible strategies to deal with the effects of the CWC:
Seeking international support to become a signatory of the CWC or to be treated as a signatory of the CWC.
Placing all category two and three chemical substances on lists as items eligible for indirect importation from mainland China.
Recommending that the industry import blended chemicals and chemicals of lower concentrations, seek import sources from other non-signatory countries, and assisting the industry with the development of products for substitution.