Local governments in Taiwan are resisting US pork imports
Local governments across Taiwan are creating rules to keep ractopamine-fed US pork out of their markets, but Taiwan’s Premier says that they lack the authority to set their own standards.
4 January 2021
3 minute read
By: According to reporting in Radio Taiwan, regional governments in Taiwan are responding to public resistance to US pork imports. The public has voiced food safety concerns over the use of a leanness-enhancing additive, ractopamine, that is used in US pig production. Imports of US pork were greenlit on 1 January despite objections from Taiwan’s opposition party.
Multiple local governments have created their own rules to keep US pork imports out of their jurisdictions.
However, Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang said that any local rules on imported pork would be unconstitutional since food safety and trade regulations fall under the remit of the central government.
The Premier said that pork imports are subjected to rigorous inspections by multiple government agencies. Taiwan will conduct its own laboratory tests on imports and record if any ractopamine is present in a shipment. Premier Su said that this will be done even if the amount of ractopamine in the pork is within the permitted range.
