March 25, 2004

Taiwan Lifts Ban On China Corn Imports

Taiwan will resume imports of Chinese feed corn and soymeal for two months with effect from Thursday, in an effort to lower feed prices for local livestock breeders, said a government trade official on Wednesday.                                        

The decades-old ban will be suspended from March 25 until May 24 and marks the third time Taiwan has opened its market to Chinese grains since 2002, said an official at the Board of Foreign Trade, who requested anonymity. Livestock breeders had requested the government lift the ban on corn imports from China as feed prices rose on the back of soaring international corn prices.      

Taiwan last opened its market between November 2003 to the end of January, when it imported almost 70,000 tons of corn from China.