September 24, 2010

Taiwan to double Paraguayan beef import quota

Taiwan's authorities agreed to double their annual import quota for beef from 880 tonnes to 1,760 tonnes from Paraguay, currently the only country which has a quota restriction on beef into Taiwan.

One of the top ten beef exporters in the world, Paraguay is recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease, with vaccination. Beef shipments from Paraguay are mainly sent to the EU, Central and South America, Africa and Asia.

Paraguayan beef represented less than 5% of the total beef imports into Taiwan in 2009-10, with only frozen beef shipped. Latest Taiwan beef import figures (June 2010) from the China External Trade Development Council revealed that the Paraguayan frozen beef price averaged US$3.53/kg CIF.

Meanwhile, prices of frozen beef imports from the US (US$4.62/kg CIF), New Zealand (US$4.30/kg CIF), Australia (US$4.13/kg CIF), and Canada (US$4.90/kg CIF) all averaged higher during June.