Published Date: 2021-11-03
Economics Minister
Wang Mei-hua says that allowing the importation of ractopamine-treated pork is
necessary if Taiwan hopes to join the CPTPP. That came during a report to the
legislature on Wednesday. The CPTPP is an international trade pact that Taiwan
has applied to join.
An upcoming
referendum in Taiwan will ask voters whether or not they want to ban imports of
ractopamine-treated pork from the United States. Ractopamine is a feed additive
that’s used to encourage leanness in animals. The additive has been a source of
trade friction with the US, as well as a source of political controversy in
Taiwan. Though the additive is not allowed to be used in Taiwan, the government
has decided to allow imports of ractopamine-treated pork from the US.
A referendum
seeking to reverse this decision and ban ractopamine-treated pork once again
will take place in December.
Opponents of the
policy say that the US is not part of the CPTPP, so pork import policy should
have nothing to do with Taiwan’s bid to join the trade bloc.
But Wang says that
all eleven members of the CPTPP allow the import of ractopamine treated meat.
Some member countries even allow the use of ractopamine in livestock.
Wang says that if
the referendum banning ractopamine pork imports passes, then Taiwan’s trade
policy may appear incompatible with those of the CPTPP members. Wang says that
this would hurt Taiwan’s odds of joining the trade bloc.