A vessel loaded with more than 1,700 luxury cars valued at around NT$5.2 billion (US$180 million) docked at Taichung Harbor Tuesday, marking the largest single shipment of cars to the port in terms of both volume and value, according to the Taichung Harbor Bureau (THB), Focus Taiwan reports.
The automobiles on the Panama-registered cargo ship included 1,428 Benz Mercedes and BMWs and 204 Porsches, the THB said.
The import tariffs on the shipment could amount to as much as NT$1.7 billion, the bureau said.
Many dealers have been rushing to import high-end vehicles before July when a so-called luxury tax is due to take effect, THB said.
The number of luxury vehicles imported via the central Taiwan port last year was around 18,000, an increase of 8,000 from 2009, which was a sign of economic recovery, according to the THB.
In the first two months of this year, more than 1,900 vehicles were shipped to the Taichung port, and the total number for the first half of the year is expected to exceed that for the same period in 2010, the THB said.
The automobiles on the Panama-registered cargo ship included 1,428 Benz Mercedes and BMWs and 204 Porsches, the THB said.
The import tariffs on the shipment could amount to as much as NT$1.7 billion, the bureau said.
Many dealers have been rushing to import high-end vehicles before July when a so-called luxury tax is due to take effect, THB said.
The number of luxury vehicles imported via the central Taiwan port last year was around 18,000, an increase of 8,000 from 2009, which was a sign of economic recovery, according to the THB.
In the first two months of this year, more than 1,900 vehicles were shipped to the Taichung port, and the total number for the first half of the year is expected to exceed that for the same period in 2010, the THB said.