Articles in this document:

· TAIWAN. US BEEF IMPORTS.

The days of political and economic persuasion, over imports of American beef are a thing of the past…

· AIT director urges Taiwan to fully open up to U.S. beef

Taiwan banned U.S. beef in 2003

· US beef exporters try to lift reputation in Asia

· US hopes to ‘beef up’ exports to Taiwan

…the government must continue to carefully consider the issue because of public hesitation…

TAIWAN. US BEEF IMPORTS.

Muriel Elizabeth Hayes

November 13, 2008

The days of political and economic persuasion, over imports of American beef are a thing of the past, since the outbreak of BSE in the United States in 2003.

This is most certainly the case in South East Asia, with Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan saying no means no.

Mexico had to capitulate, over the US beef ban they imposed in 2003, for a number of reasons, whereas the markets in Asia were more concerned about the handling of the disease and the alleged cover up, than the disease itself.

Making matter worse, in exports to South Korea since April of 2008, there have already been 10 violations of regulations, in relation to beef shipped from the United States.

A complete opening of the Taiwan market, is now a matter of priority to Washington. However the Taiwan Department of Health are reluctant to move to quickly.

The administration of president Ma Ying-jeou, is looking to closer ties to Beijing and not as easily persuaded as their predecessors.

Taiwan first banned US beef in 2003, after the discovery of BSE, prior to this they were the sixth largest importer of US beef.

The ban was lifted in 2005, to allow boneless beef only, from cattle under the age of 30 months.

The ban was reinstated two months later, after a second outbreak of BSE was discovered.

This was again re-instated, then the ban imposed again after bone fragments, were found in consignments of beef.

Making matters worse, shipments of US pork were found with banned additive drugs in the product, contrary to the import regulations of Taiwan.

There was a time, when the USDA had all control of world markets, they could impose restrictions and police themselves.

Since the emergence of alternative supplies from Australia and New Zealand, along with the South American suppliers, the emerging markets are demanding, the same health standards from the US, as they themselves demand from other countries.

A severe case of doctor, doctor, heal thyself.

Source:

Muriel Elizabeth Hayes

Buenos Aires, Argentina

AIT director urges Taiwan to fully open up to U.S. beef

Central News Agency

2008-11-12 05:31 PM

via Taiwan News

The director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), urged Taiwan Wednesday to fully open its market to U.S. beef and other agricultural products.

Stephen Young made the appeal at a biannual news conference attended by members of the local and international media, saying that the AIT has had very good dialogue both with the administrations of both former President Cheng Shui-bian and of incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou.

"One of the United States' top priorities -- on which we have engaged Taiwan intensively -- is resuming trade in all U.S. beef products, consistent with the science and based on international standards," Young said in an AIT statement.

Noting that all of Taiwan's scientific reviews and technical work is now complete and indicates that U.S. beef does not pose a threat of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, Young said "it is now time for Taiwan's authorities to make a science-based decision."

He added that Taiwanese consumers can feel assured because the international standards world body -- the Organization for Animal Health (OIE) -- gave the U.S. its controlled-risk classification in May 2007 after a team of the world's most renowned BSE experts reviewed the preventative and food-safety measures in place in the U.S.

"Resuming imports of all U.S. beef and beef products would further invigorate this important trading relationship between Taiwan and the U.S. and would benefit Taiwan's consumers by providing stable and secure access to high-quality products, like beef, " Young contended.

The top U.S. representative to Taiwan said that the authorities in both the U.S. and Taiwan need to protect consumer health, while also making available to them a wide variety of safe, competitively priced products.

While the U.S. currently supplies 32 percent of Taiwan's beef, the country only allows entry to U.S. boneless beef from cattle under 30 months old.

Taiwan banned U.S. beef in 2003 when a case of BSE was diagnosed in Seattle. The ban was lifted in April 2005 to allow imports of U.S. de-boned beef from cattle aged under 30 months, but the Taiwan government re-introduced the ban two months later when a second BSE case was discovered in the U.S.

Without the Legislative Yuan's consent, Taiwan's Department of Health lifted the ban Jan. 25, 2006, but had to reinstate it four months later when bone fragments were discovered in a beef shipment.

Peiyung Michael Hsu, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of North American Affairs said Tuesday at a regular press briefing that "unless the issue of a total opening up of the Taiwan market to U.S. beef is resolved, the promotion of some economic and trade issues will be affected."

He added that the U.S. beef issue is playing a key role in the delays in the annual U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks that were scheduled to be held in Taipei this year.

Asked why the TIFA talks were delayed, Young did not answer directly at the biannual news conference, saying only that the time for the meeting has not been scheduled.

The AIT functions as the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Taipei and Washington.

etaiwannews.com

US beef exporters try to lift reputation in Asia

ABC Rural - Australia

Wednesday, 12/11/2008

Beef exporters in the United States are doing their best to claw back consumer confidence in Asia.

There were riots on the streets when US beef was allowed back into Korea after a mad cow scare five years ago.

The US is one of Australia's biggest beef competitors.

Joe Schuele, from the US Meat Export Federation, says the industry has worked hard to convince customers that their meat is okay.

"We have taken the effort to send more and more of our farmers and ranchers on trade missions to places like Japan and Korea," he says.

"And they actually interact with the consumers over there and show them that this is the beef that we serve to our own families.

"We wouldn't serve it to our own families if it wasn't safe."

abc.net.au

US hopes to ‘beef up’ exports to Taiwan

BEEF-EATING NATION: Figures compiled by the US Meat Export Federation show that Taiwan has historically been one of the top six importing nations of US beef

By Jenny W. Hsu

STAFF REPORTER

Taipei Times

Wednesday, Nov 12, 2008, Page 4

A complete opening of the Taiwan market to US beef is a priority issue for Washington in future bilateral talks as many trade-related issues are on hold, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, without giving a timeline for when a deal could be reached.

Department of North American Affairs Deputy Director-General Michael Hsu (徐佩勇) said the US was anxious to begin large-scale exports of its beef to Taiwan, but the Taiwanese government was holding off on a decision because of a lack of public consensus.

“The issue of US beef is of great importance to Taiwan. The Department of Health [DOH] sent experts to the US twice to inspect meat safety and both times reported they did not detect any problems,” Hsu said, but added that the government must continue to carefully consider the issue because of public hesitation.

American Institute in Taiwan Director Stephen Young at a press conference in April said that on beef and pork imports, the US would begin discussion with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to “apply the same scientific principles that have been embraced in international agreements and international organizations like the OIE [the World Animal Health Organization].”

The issue of US beef raised much ire in South Korea when imports were resumed there in April. More than 150,000 protestors battled riot police in tumultuous demonstrations with scores injured. Two months later, the South Korean Cabinet offered to resign en masse over the beef crisis.

Taiwan first banned US beef in 2003 when cattle in Seattle were diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease.

In April 2005, Taiwan lifted the ban to allow US boneless beef from cattle under 30 months old, but the ban was reinstated two months later when a second BSE case was confirmed in the US.

The DOH, without a green light from the legislature, lifted the ban in January the following year but had to reinstate the ban four months later when bone fragments were discovered in a beef shipment.

Taiwan has historically been one of the top six importers of US beef, according the US Meat Export Federation.

US pork also stirred major controversy in Taiwan last year, especially among hog farmers, when two US pork shipments were found to contain the feed additive ractopamine, which is legal in the US and other countries but outlawed in Taiwan.

Bureau of Food Sanitation Deputy Director Hsieh Ting-hung (謝定宏) refused to give an actual figure on the permissible ractopamine level in pork, saying only the additive must not be detected in meat in Taiwan.

Young is expected to speak on the meat import issue at a press conference this morning.

taipeitimes.com