By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Jan. 5, legislative officials from Taiwan announced a decision to place further restrictions on the import of some U.S. beef and beef production due to alleged safety concerns. Consecutively, Taiwan has successfully reversed its decision on a carefully negotiated science-based bilateral beef trade protocol with the United States, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assoc.

“In our view, the issues expressed by politicians in Taiwan have absolutely no basis in scientific fact and fly in the face of Taiwan’s own risk assessment,” said Gregg Dodd, NCBA chief economist. “To suggest that there are safety concerns related to U.S. beef is outrageous.”

After two years of negotiations, the United States and Taiwan reached an agreement, finalized in October, which would have brought Taiwan into compliance with science-based World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines, thus allowing imports of U.S. beef and beef products from cattle of all ages.

“Taiwan appears to have disregarded sound science and ignored the agreement by placing additional restrictions on beef and beef product sales to Taiwan,” said Dodd. “ This is purely a domestic political issue in Taiwan. U.S. beef producers are sick and tired of being used as a political football.”

USDA officials, Deputy U.S. Trade Rep. Demetrios Marantis and Jim Miller, Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, quickly responded to Taiwan’s decision in a joint statement on Jan. 5.

“We are deeply disappointed with the decision by Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to amend the Food Sanitation Act (FSA) to unjustifiably bar the import of certain U.S. beef and beef products,” said Marantis and Miller. “The FSA amendment’s provisions do not have a basis in science and constitute a unilateral violation of a bilateral agreement concluded in good faith by the United States with Taiwan a little over two months ago. The protocol was negotiated on the basis of the guidelines laid out by the World Trade Organization for Animal Health (OIE), as well as the findings of Taiwan’s own risk assessment, which concluded that all U.S. beef and beef products are safe.”

U.S. officials questioned the abrupt action, and also Taiwan’s credibility as a trading partner, adding that “it will make it more challenging for us to conclude future agreements to expand and strengthen bilateral trade and ties.”

The protocol, referred to as the “Protocol of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)-Related Measures for the Importation of Beef and Beef Products for Human Consumption from the Territory of the Authorities Represented by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT),” provides assurance that U.S. beef and beef products to be exported to Taiwan – which are the same products that are consumed by Americans at home – are safe.

Officially, Taiwan agreed that the protocol would be implemented on Nov. 2, 2009, until just recently reversing that decision.
Under the terms of the protocol, all tissues that are recognized as posing a risk of BSE, must be removed and no removed risk materials are eligible for export to Taiwan. According to the USDA, the protocol is designed to both ensure human health and provide a clear and predictable commercial environment.

“In light of continuing importance of our bilateral economic relationship, we urge Taiwan to honor its commitments and to implement the beef protocol as negotiated,” commented Marantis and Miller.