Legalization of the animal feed additive ractopamine and the ensuing lifting of a ban on US beef imports with residue of the additive are likely to be the first hotly debated issues in the new legislative session, which begins on Friday.
Many lawmakers from across the political spectrum are opposed to loosening restrictions on the drug, which promotes leanness in animal meat, and the related proposition of lifting a ban on imports of US beef containing residue of the drug.
Although the government has said it has no fixed position on the issue, the opposition has said that it suspects the ban on US beef imports could be lifted soon because of strong US pressure.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus has long made its opposition to such imports clear, saying that Taiwan should deliberate the issue based on the decision made by the UN Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which was considering adopting a maximum residue level of 10 parts per billion for ractopamine last year. However, a decision was delayed until this summer.
The drug is currently banned in Taiwan, China, South Korea and the EU, although it is allowed in 26 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The DPP says that Taiwan should regulate the maximum residue level (MRL) for ractopamine in accordance with the CAC’s decision, which is expected in July, DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said.
A thorough health-risk assessment and public opinion surveys should also be included in the decisionmaking process, Chen added.
DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) proposed settling the dispute on the MRL for ractopamine in imported US beef products by holding a national referendum.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said it opposed loosening restrictions on ractopamine in all meat products because of the health risks, with party caucus whip Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) saying that the party “would voice strong opposition to the very end.”
TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) said the party feels that a national referendum could be used as a last resort, but that even if one is held, it could fail to pass because of the high threshold required.
The People First Party (PFP) is also opposed to loosening restrictions, but does not think a referendum is necessary, party caucus whip Lee Tung-hao (李桐豪) said.
The PFP caucus has proposed amending the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法), which would apply the standard regulated by the CAC.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) controls the 113-member legislature with a majority of 64 seats, potentially giving it the power to pass any bill.
However, several KMT legislators have also expressed concerns about the issue, in particular lawmakers from agriculture constituencies in central and southern regions.
KMT lawmakers Yang Li-huan (楊麗環) and Cheng Ru-fen (鄭汝芬) have both proposed amending the Act Governing Food Sanitation to ban ractopamine from all meat products in the market.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
BIG SPENDERS: Foreign investors bought the most Taiwan equities since 2005, signaling confidence that an AI boom would continue to benefit chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) market capitalization swelled to US$2 trillion for the first time following a 4.25 percent rally in its American depositary receipts (ADR) overnight, putting the world’s biggest contract chipmaker sixth on the list of the world’s biggest companies by market capitalization, just behind Amazon.com Inc. The site CompaniesMarketcap.com ranked TSMC ahead of Saudi Aramco and Meta Platforms Inc. The Taiwanese company’s ADRs on Tuesday surged to US$385.75 on the New York Stock Exchange, as strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications led to chip supply constraints and boost revenue growth to record-breaking levels. Each TSMC ADR represents
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
RSS