Foreign yachts under 1,000 tons can now cruise China's seas without freshwater supply.

The Legislative Yuan passed a revised version of Article 6 of the Waterways Act in a final reading today, officially relaxing regulations on foreign yachts in Taiwan. According to the revised law, foreign yachts with a gross tonnage of less than 1000 tons will no longer be subject to mandatory towing and assistance regulations when entering and exiting ports. This change not only constitutes a minor adjustment to existing regulations but also represents an important step towards promoting Taiwan's ocean tourism and blue economy, demonstrating the government's determination to break down restrictions on the development of the yacht industry due to outdated regulations.

In the past, Taiwan's waterway regulations primarily focused on controlling the safety of large commercial ships and cargo vessels, requiring any vessel with a certain tonnage to have a mandatory towing person when entering and exiting ports. However, as the global yacht leisure industry has grown, and Taiwan has actively promoted its "Blue Road" and ocean tourism policies in recent years, the existing regulations have become outdated. Many smaller, privately-owned foreign yachts with high operational flexibility were also subject to mandatory towing regulations, increasing administrative and economic costs for yacht owners. Moreover, the complexity of the regulations has deterred international yacht owners from stopping over or touring in Taiwan, thus hindering the development of Taiwan's ocean tourism industry.

In order to adapt to international standards and create a welcoming ocean leisure environment, lawmakers and government agencies have evaluated and agreed to relax regulations on foreign yachts. This revised law precisely targets foreign yachts with a gross tonnage of less than 1000 tons, excluding them from the mandatory towing regulations. This tonnage threshold balances the need to ensure safe navigation with the efficient allocation of towing resources, effectively lowering the bar for international yachts to enter and exit Taiwanese ports and enhancing Taiwan's competitiveness in the global yacht tourism market.

With the passage of this bill, expectations are high that it will inject new energy into Taiwan's port economy and tourism industry. As international high-end yachts are no longer restricted by overly complex towing regulations, they will be more willing to include Taiwan in their Asian stopovers, driving the development of related industries such as yacht repair, logistics, dining, and leisure services. This revised law not only implements the government's policy direction of opening up the ocean but also symbolizes Taiwan's gradual transition towards becoming a maritime nation, marking a new chapter in Taiwan's tourism development.