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US wants same rules for
beef, pork imports
STRONG ARM: Although the government insists on
its four points for importing US beef, the US demands that its beef, chicken and
pork should be treated the same
By Nadia Tsao / Staff reporter in Washington
The US is demanding that Taiwan have a single feed-additive residue level for
the import of US beef, pork and chicken, Taiwan’s deputy representative to the
US Leo Lee (李澄然) said yesterday.
In a press conference held at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative
Office in Washington, Lee said the US had responded positively toward the
Taiwanese government’s stance on conditionally relaxing a ban on imports of beef
containing residues of the leanness enhancer ractopamine, based on the
principles of “allowing a safe level of ractopamine in beef, separating the
permits for importing beef and pork, clearly labeling beef imports and excluding
imports of internal organs.”
The US maintained its stance that any residual amount set should “be based on
science,” Lee added.
When asked whether the US would pressure Taiwan to import US pork, Lee said: “I
can’t say, and the question should be directed to the Ministry of Economic
Affairs.”
Hog farmers in Taiwan have been concerned that after President Ma Ying-jeou’s
(馬英九) administration relaxed import restrictions on US beef, the US would
continue to pressure Taiwan to open up to US pork.
While the Ma administration said that pork and beef would be different issues,
Lee’s comments yesterday suggested the import of US beef and pork has not been
clearly separated.
Earlier last week, the Democratic Progressive Party displayed a document given
to the US Department of State showing that the Trade and Investment Framework
Agreement (TIFA) had included talks on lean-meat drugs, as well as importing US
beef and pork, with the highest administrative personnel in Taiwan.
The TIFA meetings have been held six times and although the US has not given
clear promises that the resolution of the US beef issue would see the
commencement of a seventh round of talks, Brookings Institution senior fellow
and former US National Security Council senior director for East Asian affairs
Jeffrey Bader’s comments three days ago offered some clues.
Bader told the local press on Wednesday that if Taiwan resolved the dispute
[over US beef], it would pave the way for a resumption of the TIFA talks and the
US would be much more willing to support Taiwan’s membership in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
In response to Lee’s remarks, Executive Yuan spokesman Philip Yang (楊永明) said
yesterday that the government insisted on its four principles, one of which is
to keep the permits for importing beef containing traces of ractopamine and pork
separate.
Yang said the policy direction was made based on scientific views and concerns
about public health.
“Premier Sean Chen has repeatedly said the government will stick to its
principle of treating pork imports as separate from beef imports. Our position
on the principle remains unchanged,” Yang said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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