March 9, 2012

 

Taiwan to set ractopamine's maximum residue limit in beef

 

 

Early this week, the government of Taiwan signalled that it is willing to set an allowed maximum residue limit (MRL) for ractopamine in beef, to open its market to US beef exports and meet part of a long-standing Obama administration demand.

 

But Taiwan's government at the same time is indicating that it will not set an MRL for pork, effectively maintaining a major restriction on US exports of that meat, according to sources. Because of this, it is unclear whether the step to relax measures on beef will be enough to satisfy the US so that it is willing to resume bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks with Taipei.

 

According to one informed source, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has indicated to the government of Taiwan that splitting the issue by setting an MRL for beef, but not pork, will fail to fulfill its demands with regards to restarting the TIFA, which is a forum for trade talks.

 

A spokeswoman for USTR said that the agency has been informed of Taiwan's intent to set an MRL for beef but is awaiting more details. While she did not comment directly on Taiwan's signal it will not set an MRL for pork, the spokeswoman noted that USTR has "repeatedly expressed the importance of addressing issues related to ractopamine and other food and feed additives in a science-based manner."

 

"Regrettably, for the last several years, we have postponed TIFA discussions with Taiwan because Taiwan has made non-science based decisions," she added. "We continue to urge Taiwan to make decisions consistent with international scientific standards."

 

Most hogs in the US are raised using ractopamine, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration but has not been adopted by the international standard-setting Codex Alimentarius Commission. However, a number of US producers also raise hogs without the substance so that they can continue to ship to markets where it is not accepted. Those include Taiwan, China, the European Union and Thailand.

 

Taiwan is publicly acknowledging that it will not adopt an MRL for pork because it has a domestic pork industry it wants to protect. By contrast, Taiwan does not have a significant cattle industry.

 

Taipei's official CNA news outlet reported March 5 that a Cabinet spokesman, Philip Yang, said Taiwan will not adopt an MRL for pork in order to shield its domestic livestock industry.

 

Yang was also quoted by CNA as saying that the executive branch would "communicate" with the legislature on the issue, and that it was proposing "allowing a safe level of ractopamine in beef ... clearly labelling beef imports, and excluding imports of internal organs."

 

Yang stressed that Taiwanese Premier Sean Chen has simply put forth a "policy position" regarding his plan to lift the ban on importing beef containing ractopamine, according to CNA. "This was not yet his final decision, which will be made after further communications with all sectors of society," the news outlet quoted Yang as saying.

 

US sources have previously speculated that reaching a final resolution on the beef issue will not happen until later this year, after the Taiwanese government makes an effort to win over public opinion, possibly by conducting a study showing its safety and then releasing those results (Inside US-China Trade, February 15).

 

That appears to be the track that Taiwan's government is taking. One informed source said that Taiwan's health officials are planning to conduct a study on ractopamine within the next three months.