As the U.S. looks to expand trade cooperation with Taiwan, some speculation has arisen about Taiwan’s import restrictions on U.S. pork and beef.
Launched in April this year, the second phase of negotiations for the U.S.-Taiwan 21st Century Trade Initiative focused on agriculture, labor, and environmental issues. During the discussions, the U.S. raised concerns about Taiwan's standards for ractopamine in U.S. pork and the incomplete market access for U.S. beef products.
During a legislative session on Tuesday, KMT Legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) questioned whether President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) had agreed to liberalize U.S. ground beef imports and double the allowable ractopamine residue limit in pork kidneys from 0.04 ppm.
Cabinet Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) denied these allegations, stating he had not heard of such discussions taking place. He emphasized that Taiwan would uphold food safety standards while engaging with international partners as Taiwan’s standards follow global norms. Cho further clarified that negotiations had seen limited progress recently due to the U.S. election period.