Taipei, May 26 (CNA) The tariff on imported face masks will be re-imposed in Taiwan effective Wednesday, after being temporarily lifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Tuesday.
The tariff on such items will return to 7.5 percent, while a 10 percent import tax will continue to be charged on the ingredients of pharmaceutical alcohol, half the usual 20 percent, until Aug. 26, according to the MOF's Customs Administration.
However, masks delivered by international postage are still tariff-free as long as they do not exceed NT$2,000 in value, the agency said.
Arrivals at Taiwan's borders will also not be taxed if they do not bring in masks exceeding NT$20,000 in value, it added.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government temporarily reduced the import tariff on pharmaceutical alcohol and introduced the exemption for masks from Feb. 27 until May 26.
Tuesday's announcement came as the coronavirus outbreak was easing in the country, prompting the relevant authorities to lift a ban against the sale of masks on the open market, reportedly starting from June 1.