China has lifted a ban on imports of fresh chilled beltfish and frozen Atlantic horse mackerel from Taiwan amid an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) said in a statement on Wednesday.
Chinese customs on Aug. 3 last year suspended imports of the two types of fish products from Taiwan “based on the consideration of biosecurity risk prevention,” Ma said, alleging that traces of the COVID-19 virus had been detected on the outer packaging of the products from Taiwan.
However, China has downgraded its COVID-19 management protocols and canceled measures such as testing for the virus on all imported cold-chain food products, Ma said.
Photo: CNA
“To promote the healthy development of cross-strait trade, the General Administration of Customs has decided to resume imports of chilled large-head hairtail and frozen mackerel from Taiwan from March 15,” Ma added.
China on June 13 last year suspended imports of Taiwanese grouper, claiming that prohibited chemicals and excessive levels of oxytetracycline had been repeatedly detected in shipments of the fish.
Later that year Chinese authorities imposed an import ban on more than 100 Taiwanese companies selling aquatic products and processed foods, which Beijing claimed had failed to submit documents or provide correct information needed to comply with new customs registration rules.
However, on Jan. 29, the TAO announced that the import ban on products made by 63 Taiwanese companies, including Kaoliang liquor brewed by Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc, had been lifted.
The office said those companies had successfully registered or updated their registration information, so they can resume exports to China.
Fisheries Agency Deputy Director-General Wang Cheng-fang (王正芳) confirmed that the Council of Agriculture had received documents from China regarding the changes.
The council is happy to see China complying with international standards by lifting the ban, Wang said.
In addition to the Chinese market, the council will continue to work with the industry to expand sales in high-end markets around the world, Wang added.
Keelung Fishermen’s Association director-general Chen Wen-chin (陳文欽) said that exports to China of fresh chilled beltfish and frozen Atlantic horse mackerel are expected to resume from July or August, when the production season starts, and run until March next year.
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS