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Taiwan will continue to cooperate in further restrictions on Russian Energy Imports

Taiwan's government announced on Thursday it would cooperate if "international allies", imposed further restrictions on Russian imports of energy, following criticism from a group non-governmental organizations about the island's business relationship with Russia.

Taiwan, along with the United States, major Western allies, and other countries, put broad sanctions against Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, but it did not ban explicitly imports, which are a major source of hard currency for Russia.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry responded to criticism on Tuesday from a group NGOs, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, about Taiwan's continued use of Russian naphtha. The ministry stated that the government would continue to work closely with the United States and other democracies.

Taiwan said that if international allies place further restrictions on Russian products, whether energy or otherwise, it would actively cooperate. It would show its unwavering determination to fight aggression and defend international order.

Taiwan's Economy Ministry, which is responsible for energy policy, stated in a separate press release that it "urges local enterprises to purchase petroleum products that meet EU regulations".

The report noted that while state-owned companies had stopped importing Russian crude oil by 2023, private firms were not restricted from doing so.

The ministry added that "as international sanctions continue evolving, it will examine further relevant control measures and communication with domestic manufacturers."

Data from shiptracker Kpler shows that Taiwan imported 102,000 barrels of refined products per day in the first nine month this year. This is up from 76,000 barrels per days in 2024. The data shows that petrochemical feedstock naphtha is the main import from Russia. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson; Additional reporting in Singapore by Florence Tan)

(source: Reuters)