Taiwan reaffirmed its stance on sustaining its ban on US pork containing residues of the feed additive ractopamine, in response to a report recently published by the US saying that Washington will continue pressuring Taipei to lift the ban.
Council of Agriculture Secretary-General Tai Yu-yen (戴玉燕) over the weekend said that the government will maintain its separate policies on imports of US beef and pork, and will not allow US pork containing traces of ractopamine to be imported into Taiwan.
Taiwan eased restrictions on US beef with ractopamine residues early last year as a prerequisite for Washington to agree to restart the long-stalled Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks between the two sides.
However, the government has stressed time and again that it will not lift the ban on US pork imports to protect public health and the rights of pig farmers.
Tai’s remarks came after the White House published its annual Economic Report of the President on Friday, which said that reducing trade barriers on agricultural products with trading partners will remain a top priority this year.
“The [US President Brack] Obama Administration has made reducing trade barriers to market access overseas for US farmers and ranchers a top priority, alongside efforts to ensure that America’s trading partners fully honor all the commitments they have made under existing trade agreements,” the report said.
Despite the Taiwanese government’s assurances, the latest round of TIFA talks on March 10 have sparked concerns that Taiwan will cave to US pressure.
The TIFA was signed in 1994 as a framework for Taiwan-US dialogue on trade in the absence of formal diplomatic ties, but had been suspended since 2007 due mainly to the controversy over US beef imports.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS