Taiwan and the United States have not made any progress on the issue of US meat imports, during the latest round of talks. That’s according to Vice Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua, who headed the Taiwan delegation during the most recent Taiwan-US trade talks.
The 10th round of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks between Taiwan and the United States wrapped up in Washington DC on Tuesday. The two sides covered a wide range of trade issues.
The US’ biggest concern was that Taiwan has put a ban on US beef, pork, and related products that contain a leanness enhancing drug called ractopamine. The US has criticized Taiwan for not falling in line with international standards on the issue and for making the call without scientific backing.
Wang said that during the talks she had communicated to the United States that Taiwan’s government needs to complete a step-by-step risk assessment before reconsidering the ban. She also said that pork is an important part of the Taiwanese people’s diet, and that the government has to take a lot of factors into consideration before making any decision.