January 16, 2007

South Korea to import poultry from Taiwan

South Korea opened its doors to Taiwan's poultry Monday (Jan 15) after allowing four Taiwanese food processors to import poultry into the country, a Taiwan Council of Agriculture spokesman said.

The approval was the result of negotiations which began last May. South Korea specified its health regulations concerning the import of Taiwanese poultry products last November, and sent food safety officials to Taiwan for field surveys in December.

Satisfied with the quality control measures and facilities of the four Taiwanese poultry product companies, South Korea had approved exports from these four companies earlier this month.

The largest market for Taiwanese poultry products is Japan, which imported 5,100 tonnes last year. With the addition of the South Korean market, local poultry products manufacturers would be able to enjoy an increase in their revenues, officials said.