Taiwan was certified clear of African swine fever in April, just six months after its first outbreak, with the agriculture minister citing the rapid recovery as evidence of strong animal disease control capabilities.

Taiwan has signed memoranda of understanding to export pork products to Singapore and the Philippines, according to Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih, following the country's certification as African swine fever-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health in April 2026.

Taiwan reported its first ASF case in October 2025 and was certified all-clear within six months. Chen said the trade agreements with Singapore and the Philippines would not have been possible without the rapid regaining of disease-free status, and credited the outcome to Taiwan's animal disease control capabilities and public-private sector cooperation during the outbreak.

The MoUs were signed at the Taipei International Food Show. Chen said the handling of the ASF outbreak is a demonstration that Taiwan can be relied upon as a trustworthy agricultural trade partner, building enduring market relationships rather than relying on price competition or single-buyer dependency.

On dairy, Chen said Taiwan permits only grade-A raw milk to be processed for sale at the consumer level and that the ministry would conduct a study on milk costs that could lead to price adjustments to improve affordability. New regulations launching the following week will set quality limits on dairy products that can be labelled as fresh milk, restricting the designation to manufacturers using domestic cow or goat milk. The government will continue promoting domestic dairy use at bubble tea chains and beverage franchises to reduce reliance on imported frozen milk concentrates.

- Taipei Times