Taipei, June 15 (CNA) The Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to lift the ban on importing Canadian beef from cattle older than 30 months.
Taiwan previously only imported Canadian beef from cattle under 30 months old. It lifted similar restrictions on imports of U.S. beef from cattle over the age of 30 months on Jan. 1, 2021.
Due to the relatively long incubation period of mad cow disease, cows aged under 30 months are generally thought to be at lower risk of having the disease.
Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 27 issued an advance notice on lifting the ban and commenced a 30-day public comment period.
Given the proposal for lifting restrictions on Canadian beef has obtained Cabinet approval, the new rules will come into effect immediately, FDA Director Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said at a press conference.
However, Taiwan will still ban specific risk materials for Canadian beef imports, including the brain, eyes and spinal chord among other parts, Wu added.
She said after the ban is lifted, Taiwan will randomly select batches of imports for inspection at a rate of 2-10 percent.
If imported products fail an inspection they will be destroyed or returned and if the number of violations becomes concerning, imports will then be subject to "enhanced random inspections" or "batch-by-batch checks," Wu added.
Currently, 55 countries around the world including the United States, United Kingdom and Japan allow imports of Canadian beef, Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said at the news conference, adding that lifting the ban was conducive to Taiwan's international participation.
The move to allow imports of Canadian beef from cattle over the age of 30 months came after a government source said recently that the ban could be a major stumbling block between Ottawa and Taipei, as they negotiate a deal to encourage two-way investment, called the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA).
The source said progress on reaching a deal was going "very smoothly" until negotiations turned to the 30-month slaughter-age limit.
The source added that the government was hopeful that Canada would voice vocal support for Taiwan's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
