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.
Photo: Reuters
Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023, it said.
A Radio America report in April, citing statistics from the National Association of Agriculture in Honduras, said that Taiwan purchased up to 40 percent of the Central American country’s shrimp exports before Tegucigalpa switched recognition to Beijing.
Honduras shrimp exports have dropped by 67 percent since 2023, and the industry has lost more than 14,000 employees, the report said.
The report also cited Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs Enrique Reina on March 31 as saying that Tegucigalpa is seeking to re-enter the Taiwanese market to salvage its shrimp industry.
Reina had also told Radio America that it hoped to export shrimp to South Korea.
Taiwan has been seeking an alternative supplier of shrimp, and since taking office, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has instructed the ministry to foster Taiwan-Belizean trade, specifically the imports of Belizean seafood, the official said.
Upon learning that the project had stalled due to difficulties in visiting Belize and inspecting local aquaculture, Lin visited the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to facilitate a cross-agency task force to handle the issue, the official said.
The Taiwanese embassy in Belize has also worked closely with the Belizean government to establish a system and procedure for exports that would conform to Taiwan’s import regulations, the official said.
It was hoped that the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project would benefit both Belize and Taiwan, the ministry said.
A cross-agency mission was established and would be visiting Belize to purchase shrimp this month, it said.
The ministry said the mission was arranged with the assistance of the Central America Trade Office.
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