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Taiwan eases restrictions on US pork and beef

Taiwan officials have indicated they will soon lift restrictions on imports of US pork and beef.   According to Bloomberg, this is expected to smooth a path to a free trade agreement between the two countries. 

In a statement to Brownfield, the National Pork Producers Council says the organization has worked for nearly 15 years to eliminate Taiwan’s non-tariff barriers to US pork exports.  Taiwan has restricted imports of US pork since 2006 and its ban on US pork produced with ractopamine has been on the USTR’s list of concerns raised with Taiwan.

NPPC says it is grateful for the work of the US Trade Representative and the USDA to eliminate barriers to US pork exports around the world. 

Ractopamine use by US hog farmers is not widespread, it is an option that is considered safe and acceptable.  NPPC says it will continue to defend the right of US hog farmers to use production processes and products that are deemed safe and opposes government mandates that, with no scientific backing, dictate production practices and unnecessarily increase food prices and inhibit consumer choice.

President Tsai Ing-wen also announced Taiwan would lift its ban on US beef.  The restrictions on American beef products have been part of an effort to block imports from place where cases of BSE have been reported in the past 10 years and have been in place since 2003.