The foreign ministry says US pork imports are an issue the government must deal with in its TPP bid in the future.
The TPP refers to the Trans Pacific Partnership, a US-led trade deal struck by 12 Pacific Rim countries last week. The free trade agreement covers about 40% of the global economy.
As Taiwan needs US support for its bid to join the TPP, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday that it’s a price that Taiwan has to pay.
Taiwan and the United States held their ninth round of trade talks under the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in Taipei on October 1st.
During the meeting, a US trade official said Taiwan must handle the import of US meat products in line with international standards and with a scientific basis. However, Economics Minister Cho Shih-chao said the government will stick to its policy of dealing with the import of US pork and beef products separately.
Taiwan has imposed a ban on the import of US pork with the leanness enhancing drug ractopamine, which Washington calls a trade barrier.