Cooperation in port logistics across the Taiwan Straits will focus on lowering tariffs in the near future. The Chinese mainland and Taiwan need to work together to achieve a shared tariff standard, said Wang Junyou, director at Taiwan Ports Association.

Wang is among the guests taking part in the 10th Chamber of Commerce Leaders' Round Table Conference - an important part of the 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), with the theme of "development and innovation of modern port logistics".

He said that since direct flights across the Straits opened three years ago, the logistics industry has been given many significant opportunities.

Taiwan's port logistics have the advantages of favorable tariff policies, he said. The island also has a faster clearance rate because of strong local public pressure.

Pointing out that the mainland is vast and has plentiful cargo supplies, Wang added: "Both sides can use each other's advantages to achieve mutual benefits."

Wang also said the two sides need to achieve consensus on a tariff standard to cut costs and increase efficiency.

Cooperation across the Straits has already begun to take effect. In July, cargo throughput of free trade ports in Taiwan increased 150 percent over the same period last year. For Taipei Port the number grew 290 percent year-on-year.

Wang said cooperation between Fujian province and Taiwan is important because of Fujian's location, especially western Fujian, which is developing very fast and attracting more and more businesspeople and investors.

According to statistics released by Fujian Department of Transportation on July 15, in the first half of 2011, Fujian ports' cargo throughput to Taiwan increased 23.6 percent from the same period last year, amounting to more than 100 million tons.

Earlier news reports said Fujian will focus on building two roll on/roll off accesses in the next five years, one between Xiamen and Taiwan and the other between Fuzhou and Taiwan.