Taiwan agrees to lift ban on U.S. bone-in beef from young cattle

According to the protocol, the U.S. bone-in beef to be allowed into Taiwan in the initial phase will include T-bone and rib steak.

U.S. beef offal will remain on the off-limits list, while further talks will still be needed on imports of ground beef, according to the protocol.

Senior Media Affairs Liaison Nefeterius Akeli McPherson of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) expressed welcome to Taiwan's decision to further open its market to U.S. beef based on scientific evidence and policies that are in line with World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) standards.

McPherson said U.S. beef exporters will follow a quality system assessment (QSA) program of the Department of Agriculture to ensure that U.S. beef entering Taiwan is from cattle less than 30 months of age and is certified through documentation, verification and traceability.

The OIE listed both the United States and Taiwan in 2007 as countries in which bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, are well under control.

It has continued to list cattle parts such as brains, skulls, eyes, spinal nerve roots, tonsils and small intestines, as "particularly risky" and these items remain on lists of export or import bans.

USTR officials said the United States will continue cooperating with Taiwan on pushing exports of beef and related products that are carried in the protocol.

The opening measures were expected to be announced by the Department of Health (DOH) in Taipei later.

Over the past three years, the United States has continued pushing Taiwan to open its market wider to U.S. beef and after many rounds of risk assessments and intensive bilateral negotiations, Taiwan finally decided to gradually ease import restrictions.

Taiwan banned U.S. beef in 2003 when a case of mad cow disease was diagnosed in Seattle. The ban was lifted in April 2005 to allow imports of U.S. de-boned beef from cattle under 30 months, but the government reimposed the ban two months later when a second BSE case was discovered in the U.S.

In 2006, the DOH agreed to allow beef imports once again, but only boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months, produced by certified slaughterhouses and without any risky parts.

Since then, U.S. beef imports have been increasing steadily. In 2008, imports of U.S. beef amounted to a record US$136 million, despite the ban on bone-in beef.

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