	taiwan further relaxes foreign goods import curbs taiwan said it would soon relax import controls on some foreign items including stationery and books in a further effort to allow trading partners especially the u s greater access to its markets taiwan announced the easing of import curbs on some farm and industrial products last month a council for economic planning and development spokesman told reuters he said the new move was intended to balance  between taiwan and its trading partners the island s  surplus reached a record billion u s dlrs last year up from billion in in january taiwan cut import tariffs on some foreign products and allowed imports of u s wine beer and cigarettes we hope the measures will help reduce our  surplus this year especially with that of the u s the spokesman said washington is pressing taiwan to open its markets wider as a way of cutting its  deficit with the island which rose to billion u s dlrs in the first two months of from billion in the year earlier period reuter 
