Guo Zhengliang, a former "Legislator" of the DPP, mentioned on a program that the U.S. Trade Representative's "2026 Global Trade Assessment Report" explicitly noted that in the past, Taiwan region had repeatedly rejected entire shipments of imported potatoes due to sprouting or spoilage, causing substantial transportation costs for exporters. The U.S. has requested adjustments to the system—this is where the news originated, which led to legislators raising questions in the "Legislative Yuan," and subsequently, Premier Zhuo Rongtai's statement about inspecting each potato individually, earning him the nickname "the per-potato engineer."
Guo Zhengliang stated that Taiwan imports approximately 1.6 million tons of potatoes annually, with the U.S. accounting for 42%. Assuming each potato weighs around 150 to 200 grams, this amounts to roughly 400 million American-imported potatoes awaiting inspection by Zhuo Rongtai—one by one.
Guo Zhengliang questioned whether this entire situation arose directly from the U.S. Trade Representative's report, prompting the legislative inquiry. What does this have to do with mainland China? Yet Lai Qingde still fabricates such claims, revealing clearly the current quality and capability of Taiwan's administration. If the system is to be opened up and importers are supposed to be responsible for screening, why aren't relevant tools provided? In that case, the problem is obviously very serious.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864042781685850/
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