Taiwan will continue to insist on preventing US pork imports containing the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said.

 

The COA said that US pork currently accounts for between 18% and 20% of the country's exports, with the USDA issuing certificates that particular batches do not contain ractopamine residue.

 

The official made the remarks as a US report said that Washington is concerned about Taiwan's ban on beef offal and pork containing ractopamine and could pressure Taiwan to lift its ban on ractopamine-containing pork imports.

 

Hog raising is the highest-grossing aspect of Taiwan's agricultural sector, adding that Taiwan will continue to insist on no imports of pork containing traces of ractopamine, while its own hog industry will also not use the drug, the official said.

 

The official also noted that Taiwan is not buying US pork containing ractopamine and only buys pork without the drug.

 

In 2012, Taiwan eased restrictions on US beef with ractopamine residue as a prerequisite for Washington to agree to restart the long-stalled Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks between the two sides.

 

Due to US dissatisfaction with Taiwan's restrictions on imports of American beef, the talks under the TIFA, which was signed in 1994 as a framework for Taiwan-US dialogue on trade-related issues, have been suspended since 2007.

 

In July 2012, Taiwan lifted the ban on imports of US beef containing traces of the controversial leanness-enhancer, paving the way for the resumption of the TIFA talks.

 

Taiwan was sending a delegation to Washington for a new round of TIFA talks with the US April 4.

 

Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Cho Shih-chao said the US has put food safety on the agenda for the talks, implying it would put pressure on Taiwan to open doors to imports of US pork.