July 9, 2009

Taiwan will soon open its domestic market wider to US beef imports, Taiwan's Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan said Wednesday (Jul 8).

Yeh's remark came days after he said the government has no timetable for the full opening of Taiwan's market to US beef products.

He added that the DOH's most recent negotiation with the US on the matter was on July 4 and that a final decision will be reached soon.

The US main concern on the issue is that other countries will follow Taiwan's lead and try to negotiate to tighten their regulations on US beef imports, according to Yeh.

Currently, Taiwan allows imports of US boneless beef only from cattle younger than 30 months but it is considering lifting or easing the restrictions following an intense lobby by the US government.

Last Friday (Jul 3), Washington's outgoing envoy to Taiwan, Stephen M. Young, said Taiwan was very close to fully opening its market to US beef. However, Yeh said the DOH will continue to refer to other countries' policies on US beef imports.

Taiwan banned US beef products in 2003 when a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also called mad cow disease, was diagnosed in Seattle.

The ban was lifted in April 2005 to allow imports of US de-boned beef from cattle under 30 months old but the government re-imposed the ban two months later when a second BSE case was discovered in the US.

In 2006, Taiwan allowed only US boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months, produced by certified slaughterhouses and without any risky parts to be imported into the country.

Taiwan now plans to ease the restrictions on US bone-in beef, shredded beef, beef tripe, offal and other beef products but only if these products meet the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).