On the Prospects for Taiwan’s Sugar Policy after Joining the WTO

隨著台灣在2002 年初成為WTO 的正式會員國，多年來藉由進口管制手段所保護的砂糖產業亦面臨國際 貿易自由化的衝擊。儘管，砂糖貿易自由化的結果對國內消費者與食品加工業者有利，惟同時也對國內蔗農 與製糖業者造成衝擊。然而，在貿易自由化的過程中，政府該採用怎樣的政策可以使國內的糖產業所受到之 衝擊最小，是為國人眾所關切。 本文以同時對農產品原料、中間財與最終財進行之聯合經濟分析法為藍本，針對我國糖產業之現況、採 行關稅配額開放進口之方式、與加入WTO 後我國糖業政策調整的可能方向，在臺灣為國際砂糖貿易市場上之 小國，且粗糖、精糖及加工食品皆可貿易之前提下，以部分均衡圖形圖解方式針對我國砂糖產業之粗糖、精 糖市場；粗糖、精糖之加工市場；以及食品加工市場進行經濟分析。本文的研究結果顯示，糖業貿易自由化 的結果將使得國內砂糖以及加工食品的市場均衡價格下跌、數量增加；國內粗、精糖的價格下跌；粗糖需要 量減少；而國內的粗糖市場終將萎縮。在眾多砂糖貿易自由化的策略中，以先開放粗糖自由進口暫且維持精 糖採TRQ 進口之方法是對臺灣糖業最為有利的措施，本文的研究結果支持政府當前所研擬之糖業政策方向。The supporting/protection polices to the sugar industry in Taiwan will be curtailed gradually following the trend of global agricultural trade liberalization. The welfare of sugar cane farmers, the sugar refining industry, as well as the food processing industries will be affected negatively or positively when the sugar market in Taiwan is liberalized. The polices related to domestic sugar cane and sugar production as well as the trade liberalization polices should therefore be reviewed and revised cautiously. This study analyzed the possible effects of trade liberalization upon Taiwan's sugar industry. The sugar cane production, sugar refining industry and food processing industry were analyzed jointly since these markets are closely related with each other. Various alternatives of trade liberalization polices were examined and compared. Basing on the analytical results, the direction of police adjustments of the sugar industry in Taiwan was suggested. This study confirmed that to liberalize the crude sugar market, instead of the refined sugar market, first was the right choice of the government in Taiwan