This is a "fee", not an official tax; it has never been legislated, and many legislators thus regard its imposition as a practice of dubious legality.
多數學者專家都認為，貿協有必要維持目前「半官半民」的型態。輔仁大學國貿系主任林邦充另建議：目前貿協僅對出口商收取規費，但事實上對進口商也提供不少服務。貿協經費應改為對進、出口皆抽取基金，同時降低抽取比率，如此可減輕出口商負擔。