VZCZCXRO7200
OO RUEHGH RUEHTRO
DE RUEHIN #0422/01 0570510
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 260510Z FEB 07
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4212
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 6401
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0168
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 4463
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0201
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 8494
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 6826
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 0317
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000422 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/TC AND ISN/MTR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2027 
TAGS: ETTC PARM KNNP NK TW
SUBJECT: MTAG: TAIWAN EXCON (RETRANS FROM 2/14) 
 
REF: A. STATE 17104 
     ¶B. STATE 17021 
     ¶C. TAIPEI 307 
     ¶D. TAIPEI 129 
     ¶E. 06 TAIPEI 685 
     ¶F. SEOUL 414 
     ¶G. TOKYO 655 
 
Classified By: AIT Econ Chief Daniel K. Moore, 1.4 B/C 
 
¶1.  (S) Summary: AIT Econ delivered ref A export license 
recommendations to Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) export 
control task force head Wally Su (Shi-hwa) on February 13. 
During the meeting, Su noted a problem with the scheduled 
dates for the next EXBS training (ref B) and asked if the 
training could be postponed until March 20-22.  Su said that 
earlier on February 13 BOFT had issued the press release 
referred to in ref C.  He also described Taiwan's 
participation in a recent international export control 
seminar in Tokyo.  AIT continued to press Taiwan to ban the 
export of luxury items to North Korea.  End summary. 
 
Taiwan Invited to Attend WCO Meeting on SAFE 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (S) In response to ref B proposal to conduct an EXBS 
training workshop in Taipei on March 13-15, BOFT's Wally Su 
explained that he had been instructed to attend a World 
Customs Organization (WCO) conference on SAFE in Brussels on 
March 12-14 that would discuss the link between the WCO SAFE 
Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade 
and the Revised Kyoto Convention.  Su said the invitation had 
been transmitted from the WCO in Brussels to the Taiwan 
(Chinese Taipei) WTO representative in Geneva.  (Note: Taiwan 
is not a member of the WCO and previously has not been 
allowed to attend WCO meetings.  AIT is unsure if this 
invitation was sent by mistake or is something arranged by 
U.S. agencies in response to Taiwan requests for assistance 
in participating in SAFE (ref D).  In either case, it will be 
a breakthrough if a Taiwan representative is actually allowed 
to participate in a WCO meeting.  End note.)  Su suggested 
the EXBS training be re-scheduled for March 20-22.  He also 
again asked why the "Risk Targeting" course had been replaced 
by the "PLC/PVS" course without 
prior consultation. 
 
BOFT Makes Public Warning to Local Companies 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (S) During the meeting, Su said that a BOFT press release 
on export control violations (mentioned in ref C) had been 
issued at a press conference earlier on February 13.  The 
press release is posted on the BOFT website at 
http://cweb.trade.gov.tw/.  Local and international media 
described the press conference as warning local companies of 
the penalties for failure to comply with new regulations on 
exports to North Korea and Iran and quoted BOFT Deputy 
Director General James Wu as saying "We have had a few cases 
recently where customs officials have caught sensitive 
products that were to be exported, and told the companies 
that they needed to gain permission to export such items to 
these countries.  None of those items got past customs."  Su 
said that BOFT was planning to hold another 3-5 outreach 
events for industry in coming weeks and this time would 
instruct companies to send high-level officials so they could 
not use the excuse that upper levels of company management 
had not heard of the new export license requirements. 
 
Review Panel Upholds Suspension, Rejects Company Protest 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶4.  (S) BOFT Wally Su explained that over the past six months 
Taiwan Customs had stopped nine separate shipments (in ref C 
 
TAIPEI 00000422  002 OF 002 
 
 
he told us there were 11 shipments) of items on the Sensitive 
Commodities List (SCL) bound for Iran or 
North Korea because the shipments lacked an export license. 
BOFT had done a preliminary investigation of 
these cases, and then forwarded them to the Ministry of 
Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) for further 
investigation and legal action.  Su said BOFT had 
administratively penalized each of the companies involved 
with a one month suspension of their exporting privileges. 
One company formally protested the suspension and claimed 
that no violation had occurred since items were stopped 
before they were exported.  A review panel consisting of 
officials, lawyers, and industry association representatives 
in early February upheld the BOFT decision to suspend export 
privileges. 
 
MJIB Conducts Another Disappointing Investigation 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5.  (S) Su said BOFT had received the first investigation 
result from MJIB on these nine cases on February 12.  The 
MJIB investigation result consisted of a brief very statement 
that MJIB had contacted the shipping agent and 
customs broker in the case and had determined that the 
failure to apply for an export license was "unintentional" 
and therefore the case would not/not be forwarded to the 
Prosecutors' Office for further action.  Su said he was 
disappointed in the MJIB response, and unsure what MJIB meant 
in saying the violation was "unintentional."  He said he 
would keep AIT informed of further MJIB investigation results. 
 
Taiwan Again Participates in Japan's Annual Excon Seminar 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶6.  (S) Su told AIT that three Taiwan officials had 
participated in a February 6-8 export control seminar in 
Tokyo attended by over 100 delegates from 25 countries (ref 
F).  Su said BOFT's presentation on its export license 
"cross-checking" arrangement with the United States (aka: the 
gameplan) evoked much interest from South Asian countries. 
Su also noted that the PRC had replaced the "wooden" official 
it sent last year who refused to answer any questions (ref E) 
with two personable young women. 
 
Banning Luxury Exports to North Korea 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (S) AIT again urged that Taiwan ban the export of luxury 
items to North Korea and presented the information from ref F 
regarding luxury items that Singapore has banned from 
exporting to North Korea.  Su said he would contact Singapore 
officials for more details of what its ban entailed and that 
he would continue pushing for such a ban by Taiwan. 
YOUNG