Taiwan will insist on barring imports of US pork containing the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine, the Council of Agriculture said Tuesday. The council said that US pork currently accounts for between 18%-20% of the country’s exports, with the US Department of Agriculture issuing certificates that particular batches do not contain ractopamine residue. The official made the remarks as a US report said that Washington is concerned about Taiwan’s ban on beef offal and pork containing ractopamine and could pressure Taiwan into lifting its ban on ractopamine-containing pork imports.…Full Article: WantChinaTimes Apr 2014
Key point
- In July 2012, Taiwan lifted the ban on imports of US beef containing traces, which led to the reopening of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) negotiations
ChinaAg Comment
- In February 2013, the top US liaison officer in Taiwan (Raymond Burghardt) called on the Taiwanese government to not to differentiate between US pork and beef imports