Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture is ready to appeal to the World Trade Organization for a settlement over a recent Chinese ban on Taiwanese fruit imports. That was the word from Deputy Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih on Thursday.
China suspended imports of Taiwanese wax apples and sugar apples starting September 20. Chinese authorities say that is because they discovered shipments of fruit containing mealybugs, a common agricultural pest.
Taiwanese authorities say they had received no reports of contamination in the preceding six months, and that China can simply fumigate the fruit to remove the mealybugs.
Deputy Minister Chen says the Council of Agriculture will need to submit its case to the World Trade Organization by mid-October. That way, the organization can examine the issue at its regular meeting, scheduled for the beginning of November.
In the meantime, authorities say they are working to diversify the export destinations of Taiwanese fruit. Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Japan are all markets in which Taiwan is looking to expand.