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Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei
Your Best Partner in Global Trade - Innovation, Efficiency, Service
The Importers
and Exporters Association of Taipei (IEAT), established in 1947, represents
businesses engaged in import-export trade. With a membership that has
grown from 200 in its inception to more than 5,000 today, the IEAT is
now one of the most influential private trade organizations in Taiwan.
Trade is a mainstay of the Taiwan economy. Through their ingenuity and
industriousness, Taiwan traders have laid a cornerstone to economic progress
on the island. The IEAT has effectively bridged communication between
the government and the trade sector for more than six decades. Guided
by principles of "Innovation, Efficiency, Service and Par Excellence",
the IEAT sets out to advance members' interests through coordinating the
sector and to further economic progress through expanding international
trade. Achievements are made in forging sectorial consensus, protecting
members' rights and benefits, and facilitating companies to tap trade
opportunities in the global market.
In response to economic changes and the accession to the WTO by China
and Taiwan, the IEAT strengthens strategic collaboration with trade agencies
and conducts studies on the global economic climate and major markets.
It bolsters assistance to companies that participate in exhibitions, procurement
and sales missions at home and abroad. It makes great strides in the Mainland
Chinese market by operating liaison offices in the cities of Dalian and
Xiamen to organize trade shows and facilitate members in cross-Strait
commerce..
”½ Leadership With A Vision; Service Par Excellence
The IEAT provides comprehensive services to member companies from various
industries with major trade partners in North America, Northeast Asia,
Southeast Asia, Europe and Mainland China. Export items comprise mainly
machinery products, plastic products, electrical machinery and information
products, while major imports include machinery products, electrical machinery
and information products.
The organizational setup is made up of the Delegates Committee, the Board
of Directors, the Board of Supervisors and an administration division.
The Delegates Committee, comprising 86 representatives elected by a vote
of all members of the organization, represents the highest authority.
The 27-member Board of Directors and nine-member Board of Supervisors
formulate the operation guidelines.
The Board of Directors oversees the operations of seven Committees, namely,
the International Affairs Committee, Members' Liaison Committee, Editorial
and Publications Committee, Mainland China Trade Research Committee, Scholarship
Fund Committee, Research and Development Committee and Trade Policies
Committee.
The daily operations are managed by the Secretary-General with the assistance
of the Deputy Secretary-General and about 40 staff members in the International
Affairs Division, Mainland China Affairs Division, Domestic Affairs Division,
Information Service Division, Trade Professional Certification Division,
Finance and Administration Division, and General Affairs Division. The
IEAT obtained ISO 9001 certification in 2002 in its ongoing efforts to
upgrade service quality..
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Major Functions
1. Enhancing Members”¦ Rights and Benefits (A
Voice of the Trade Sector and Its Best Representative)
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" Addresses
pertinent issues and makes concrete recommendations to the authorities
based on members' feedback and research findings.
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" Participates
in trade and economic policy formulation and offers proposals grounded
on the views of members and experts.
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" Establishes
21 industry-specific committees and 9 topic-specific committees consisting
of representatives from the business community. These committees call
meetings as needed and serve to help members develop business opportunities
as well as a grasp of legislations.
”° Committees based on 21 industries
Agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing products
Processed food
Dairy products
Health food products
Chinese medicinal products
Western medicinal products
Textile products, including handbags
Building materials and furniture
Instruments, including medical and scientific items
Photographic equipment
Electrical equipment
Information products
Transportation equipment
Machinery tools
Sports and leisure products, including footwear
Toys, gifts and jewelry
Chemicals ”]including minerals and related products”^
Iron and steel products
Cosmetics and cleansing products
Tobacco, wine and liquor
”° Committees based on 9 special rese arch
fields
Taxation
Freight and warehousing
Finance and foreign exchange
Customs procedures
Trade and commercial laws
Environmental protection
Mainland China Trade
Certification and Inspection
Beef imports
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" Arranges
for visits by members to the customs departments, production facilities,
science parks and research institutions to familiarize members with
related operations and business trends.
- " Provides advisory services through a Joint Service Center for Importers
and Exporters set up in 1998. The center enlists the expertise of 18
agencies that include the Bureau of Foreign Trade, the Industrial Development
Bureau, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, the Directorate
General of Customs, the Taipei National Tax Administration, and the
Taiwan External Trade Development Council. In 2006, two counters were
added for queries on the Chinese market and on general matters to provide
comprehensive consultation by experts in the fields of trade and commerce,
finance, taxation, law, marketing and business and industrial administration.
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2.
Furthering Foreign Trade (Creating Business Opportunities to Further Global
Trade)
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"
Twinning relationships: Cooperation agreements are signed with 72
business and industrial organizations in 42 countries to intensify
trade and economic exchanges.
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"
Hosting foreign trade-related organizations: Exchanges of business
updates with visiting delegations; arranging for business talks; and
organizing talks on potential markets.
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"
Outbound missions: Coordinating members' participation in international
trade shows and specialized exhibitions at home and abroad, and organizing
business trips to prospective markets for exhibitions, procurement,
and market studies.
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"
Exhibitions and talks: Cooperation with major foreign trade and economic
agencies to hold exhibitions, procurement talks, and matching sessions
as market expansion initiatives.
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"
The Taiwan-Korea Economic and Trade Committee: The committee, established
in 2004, expedites business exchange and communication between the
civil sectors of the two regions.
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"
Participation in international conferences: Attending major international
meetings to understand trade and economic trends as well as establish
foreign relations.
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"
Catalogue and samples shows: Organizing catalogue shows through coordinating
the participation of trade representatives in Taipei; and compiling
catalogues of member companies for similar shows in emerging markets
abroad. Issuance of documents: Issuance of certificates such as L/C
transfers, export/import commissions and merchanting trade certificate,
certificate of origin, certificate of tender/bidding qualifications
and membership identification..
3 . Interaction and Collaboration (Strategic
Alliance for Greater Trade)
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"
Federation of International Trade Related Association: The federation
was founded by 174 trade associations in 2000 to deepen sectoral interaction
in pursuit of common interests.
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"
Strategic collaboration: Closer cooperation forged with various importers
and exporters associations, the Taiwan External Trade Development
Council, the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association,
the China Productivity Center, the Electronics Testing Center, and
etc.
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"
Joint sessions: Holding regular discussions with economic officials
by board members and sub-committee conveners to give timely industry
feedback.
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"
Concessionary benefits: Cooperative agreements are made with peripheral
services of the trade sector to provide members with concessions for
lower costs of testing, business, and travel.
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"
Social activities: Activities for members' interaction, such as hikes
and golf matches..
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4.
Comprehensive Information Resource (Integrated Information Platform to
Keep Abreast of Developments)
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"
Publication of the Trade Magazine: Reports and analysis of domestic
and foreign developments in trade and economy, foreign exchange, industries
and markets, and IEAT activities. The publication is distributed to
members and related agencies at home and abroad.
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"
Publication of trade and business series: publications of titles on
various specialized topics relating to trade practices and the Mainland
Chinese market.
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"
Topical research: Updating members on the latest business developments
through studies on topics relating to changes in global trade and
major markets.
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"
Trade Resource Library and Book Gallery: A collection of trade and
business information resources, industry yearbooks and business periodicals
for members' reference. And the Book Gallery puts on sale IEAT publications
as well as items published by related agencies.
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"
Distribution of membership CD-ROM: A CD-ROM listing of member companies
according to H.S. Code is published for business interaction.
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"
Promotion of trade opportunities: Publicizing overseas trade opportunities
on the IEAT website and providing real-time information through regular
updates of electronic trade news.
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"
Electronic services: Digitalized information for members through the
IEAT website (www.ieatpe.org.tw) and the subsidiary sites of the International
Trade Infoweb, the China Trade Information website, Law and Regulations
Billboard and the Book Gallery to provide a database on member companies,
IEAT activities and publications, market updates, trade opportunities
availability, and announcements of trade rules and regulations. Regular
news release on policy changes and trade opportunities through the
Trade Magazine Electronic Journal, Trade Opportunities E-newsletter,
Law and Regulations Billboard, electronic versions of international
trade news and China business reports, and the Book Gallery new titles..
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5.Developing
Trade Expertise (Developing Professional Expertise to Raise Competitiveness)
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"
International trade scholarship: An international trade scholarship
is awarded regularly to college students in Taipei for outstanding
performance in international trade programs.
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"
Professional examinations: The International Trade Certification Examination
and Examination for Certification of Trade Specialists are held every
year to certify basic qualifications of graduates and practitioners
in trade-related fields. The International Trade Job Bank also facilitates
employers in staff recruitment.
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"
Trade and economic seminars: Holding talks and seminars by local and
foreign experts, scholars and business representatives to address
issues on trade practices, taxation, finance, management, trade opportunities
in overseas markets, and cross-Straits trade. Talks are also held
in Mainland China to serve the needs of Taiwan businesses..
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”½Our
Achievements in 2009
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Market
expansion/ development: 54 delegations for exhibitions, procurement
and study tours overseas, and 5 trade talks, involving nearly 1,000
participating companies and facilitated numerous business potentials.
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Education:
69 sessions on topical issues relating to trade and business practices,
international trade and trade with China, involving more than 3,000
participants; 19 classes of a course in trade practices for a total
of 42 terms, involving 1,616 participants.
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Policy
discussion: 54 committee meetings held by 21 Industries and 9 Special
Research Committees to review and discuss laws and regulations, industry
developments, trade and customs matters, and China business opportunities.
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Protection
of members'interests: The completion of 98 consultation cases through
the "Joint Service Center" and "Member Consultation
Service Center" for Importers and Exporters; proposal to the
government on 51 items of policy changes with regard to legal relaxation,
lower reduction, custom procedures simplification and triangular trading
taxation.
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Field
trips: 3 Visits to the Keelung Customs Office, Taipei Customs Office
and green energy facilites (e.g. Super Textile Corporation) to expand
traders'expertise.
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Sourcing
manpower: The fourth International Trade Certification Examinations
and the third Trade Specialists Certification Examinations attended
by 5,594 applicants. Users of the International Trade Professional
Dataweb included 755 qualified candidates and 257 companies.
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Comprehensive
information service: complimentary copies of 12 issues of Trade Magazine
for members; ready access to information on the IEAT website and four
subsidiary websites: the International Trade Infoweb, the China Trade
Information website, the Law and Regulations Billboard, and the Book
Gallery ; and thousands of postings of electronic news, trade opportunities
as well as business information.
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Topical
studies: The 2009 IEAT Country Report on the business environments
of major emerging markets, and research on business opportunities
and challenges in Turkay and Iran.
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Members'
interaction: 6 hiking trips and golf tournaments involving 3,600 participants.
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Issuance
of documents: Issuance of 27,937 certificates of origin, and 200 documents
for membership identification, Certificate of Free Sale and Manufacture,
tender/bidding qualifications and business performance documentation.
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Towards a New Era in Trade: Innovation, Efficiency, Service and Par Excellence
A witness
to six decades of economic vicissitudes, the IEAT thrives with the progress
of international trade. It will continue to play a key role as changes
in the trade sector evolve with rapid globalization in the information
era.
In its relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation, the IEAT will
heighten cooperation with all sectors and provide enhanced quality service
to help members grasp business opportunities and achieve greater specialization
and scale of operation. To promote members' interests and economic progress,
the IEAT will fortify its role in bridging communication between the public
and private sectors for a flourishing international trade.
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