Canada beef exports to Taiwan up 65 percent

Canada's beef exports to Taiwan totalled 1,079 tonnes, valued at US$3.5 million, for the first five months of 2009, up 65 percent on-year.

Ted Haney, president of the Canada Beef Export Federation, said Canada is regaining market share in Taiwan, thanks to established relationships between Canadian suppliers and Taiwanese importers as well as the aggressive promotional programme delivered by the Taiwan office.

Before the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2003, Canadian beef exports to Taiwan reached about 4,123 tonnes per year, most of which was bone-in beef.

Currently, Taiwan imports only boneless beef from cattle under 30 months old, but there is optimism at both government and industry levels that Taiwan will shortly move to expand access, said Haney.

He said the access expansion may have a phased process, with the first phase giving access for bone-in beef from cattle under 30 months of age, which could possibly reach the double of current export level.