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Major importers sign agreement against US beef

Nine major importers of US beef in Taiwan yesterday joined an association organized by the Taipei City Government opposed to the importation of US ground beef, intestines and spinal cords, promising not to import the three US beef products.

The importers said 90 percent of the beef they imported was from New Zealand and Australia, and they would not import the three US beef products because consumers had doubts about their safety.

“It is our responsibility to exercise safety control on the imported beef, and we will not import US ground beef and intestines unless public doubts about the safety of the products disappear,” Shusen Corp vice president Huang Shih-yan (黃士衍) said at a press conference at Taipei City Hall.

The nine importers joined Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) in signing a pledge at the press conference. Hau said the city government would ask 41 meat importers in Taipei to implement safety control mechanisms to prevent US ground beef and intestines being imported.

More than 1,000 local restaurants and stores have joined the association against the use of US ground beef, spinal cord and intestines.

Stores violating the association’s regulations would face fines of between NT$60,000 and NT$150,000 under the Consumer Protection Law (消費者保護法), Hau said.

NOODLE FESTIVAL

Hau later attended an event promoting the Taipei Beef Noodle Festival on Nov. 22, and gave his endorsement to participating shops for the safety of the beef they used.

However, he refused to sign a petition to hold a referendum proposed by a number of civic groups to demand renegotiation with the US concerning imports of beef products.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilors Yen Sheng-kuan (顏聖冠) and Wang Hsiao-wei (王孝維) brought a copy of the petition to Hau at the city hall and urged him to sign it to show his support.

Hau refused.

“I agree with the city government’s way of handling the issue, but I respect other cities and counties adopting other ways in dealing with the matter,” he said.

Yen accused Hau of succumbing to pressure from the central government and urged him to sign the petition to protect public health.

Meanwhile, a joint statement issued by US beef exporters said the current import of US beef and beef products derived from cattle less than 30 months old was just a transitional measure on the way to full market access regardless of the age of the cattle.

MARKET ACCESS

In the statement, published on the Web site of the US Meat Export Federation, representatives of the US industry welcomed Taiwan’s amendment of import requirements on US beef products on Oct. 22.

“When implemented, this protocol will expand market access for US beef and beef products in recognition that all US beef and beef products are safe, regardless of the age of the cattle from which they are derived,” the statement said.

To ensure a smooth transition for expanded trade, the statement said, US exporters “have decided as a transitional measure to initially export only US beef and beef products derived from cattle less than 30 months in age to Taiwan.”

It said they understood that 180 days after the entry into force of the protocol signed between Taipei and Washington, consultations will take place between the US and Taiwanese authorities.

In a letter to US Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, the US exporters said the US beef exporting industry “is prepared to temporarily limit beef exports to Taiwan to products from cattle less than thirty months of age under a program verified by USDA [the US Department of Agriculture] as a transitional measure to ensure an orderly expansion to a full market opening.”

To facilitate this commitment, the statement said US exporters have requested that as soon as the protocol takes effect, the US government establish an age-­verification Quality System Assessment (QSA) program for Taiwan.

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has confirmed that it was taking steps to establish a QSA program.

“We look forward to offering the full range of US beef and beef products to the Taiwan market,” the statement said. “We will work closely with our customers in Taiwan, as well as the United States and Taiwan authorities, to enable us to do so as soon as possible.”
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