July 6, 2009

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou said in Panama Thursday (Jul 2) that he looks forward to an early agreement with the US on beef imports to Taiwan.

 

Ma, who was in Panama City to attend new Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli's inauguration, made the remarks to the Taiwan reporters covering his two-leg Central America diplomatic tour that will take him next to Nicaragua.

 

According to Ma, his administration has been in talks with the US since last August on the possibility of importing US bone-in beef, shredded beef, beef tripe, offal and other beef products into Taiwan after a five-year ban. However, Ma said the two parties have not yet reached any agreement on the timing and scope of such imports.

 

He stressed that his administration will import those types of US beef products only if they meet the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

 

In 2003, Taiwan banned US beef when a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was detected in Seattle.

 

The ban was partially lifted in April 2005 to allow imports of US de-boned beef from cattle under 30 months old but the Taiwanese government re-imposed the ban two months later when a second BSE case was discovered in the US.

 

In 2006, Taiwan allowed only US boneless beef from cattle under than 30 months old, produced by certified slaughterhouses and without any risky parts, such as brains, skulls, eyes, spinal nerve roots, tonsils and small intestines, to be imported into the country.

 

For the past three years, the volume of US beef imports has been increasing year-by-year and it currently accounts for about 32 percent of Taiwan's beef market.

 

The US government has been pushing Taiwan to allow all US beef imports. Stephen Young, the outgoing US representative to Taiwan, said at his farewell press conference June 26 that advancement on the beef issue will create a good atmosphere as the Obama administration's is committed to work across a wide range of agricultural, trade and investment issues related to Taiwan.

 

During Thursday's news briefing, Ma said the beef products the US government intends to sell Taiwan are on the daily menu of 300 million US citizens and no human infections of mad cow disease have been reported there.

 

He added that South Korea has also re-opened its market to US beef imports and no health risks have been reported in that country despite strong opposition from South Korean consumer groups.

 

Ma said he hopes for a conclusion soon which will be based on all available scientific data and evidence as this issue has been unresolved for a period of time.