The government on Tuesday announced a ban on the importation of frozen custard apples from China.
The policy is not in retaliation for China’s ban on the importation of fresh custard apples from Taiwan last year.
The ban on frozen fruits from China, effective immediately, aims to ease the pressure on local farmers who have been affected by China’s import ban, the Mainland Affairs Council said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan has long had a ban on the importation of fresh custard apples from China, but not on frozen ones, the Council of Agriculture said.
No frozen custard apples had been imported from China or any other country in the past couple of years, the council said.
In the wake of China imposing the ban in September, Chinese imports of frozen custard apples would be formally prohibited, the council said, adding that the move was “non-retaliatory.”
The ban is based on a new policy to independently categorize frozen custard apples, which were being imported into Taiwan under the broad category of frozen fruits and nuts, to allow for more detailed collection of data, the council said.
To maintain consistency, the same rules would be applied to fresh and frozen fruits, it said, adding that the policy was suggested by the agricultural sector.
Last year, Taiwan’s imports of frozen unsweetened fruits and nuts from China totaled NT$1.05 million (US$37,973), a decline of 20 percent, council data showed.
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