May 23, 2016

Taiwanese president urged to maintain ban on US pork containing ractopamine

Tsai-Ing-wen, the newly-elected President of Taiwan has been called upon by pig farmers to "show integrity" and continue to keep in force import barriers on US pork containing ractopamine.

Failure to maintain such restrictive measures could provoke a major street protest, the farmers said.

Following Agriculture Minister-designate Tsao Chi-hung's comments in April that US pork with ractopamine traces will not be banned from Taiwan perpetually, Tsai was accused of betraying her past remarks by Lu Ying-chun, head of the ROC Swine association's branch in Kaohsiung.

The US perceives the ban as an obstruction to Taiwan's potential membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).