20100124 No renegotiations on beef: US trade office

No renegotiations on beef: US trade office

‘TEMPORARY’: The premier played down the friction, saying that similar disputes were common and that he hoped Washington would understand Taiwan’s position

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA, WASHINGTON
Sunday, Jan 24, 2010, Page 1

The US Trade Representative Office (USTR) said on Friday that Taiwan has destroyed its bilateral agreement with the US on beef imports and there is no basis for renegotiation on the issue.

With some US lawmakers urging the USTR to take a tough stance and suspend talks on the Taiwan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), the USTR said its aim was to ask Taiwan to do whatever it can to implement the bilateral agreement and that the USTR would consider all alternatives that could help achieve that target.

Four US representatives said in a letter to US Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Wednesday that they do not think the US should resume trade and investment talks with Taiwan until Taiwan reverses its ban on US ground beef and beef offal.

Taiwan Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said on Friday that the trade friction between the US and Taiwan on the beef issue was “temporary” and that such disputes are common internationally. Wu said he hoped the US government would understand Taiwan’s position..

However, in response to questions from the media, the USTR reiterated that Taiwan must follow the US-Taiwan beef protocol and open its market to US beef products as agreed.

Taipei concluded a deal with Washington in October last year to lift a ban on imports of US bone-in beef, ground beef and beef offal. The legislature voted earlier this month to revise the law to force the government to reinstate its ban on imports of US ground beef and beef offal.