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Published Date: 2021-09-30
Taiwan’s Council
of Agriculture is ready to appeal to the World Trade Organization for a
settlement over a recent Chinese ban on Taiwanese fruit imports. That was the
word from Deputy Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih on Thursday.
China suspended
imports of Taiwanese wax apples and sugar apples starting September 20. Chinese
authorities say that is because they discovered shipments of fruit containing
mealybugs, a common agricultural pest.
Taiwanese
authorities say they had received no reports of contamination in the preceding
six months, and that China can simply fumigate the fruit to remove the
mealybugs.
Deputy Minister
Chen says the Council of Agriculture will need to submit its case to the World
Trade Organization by mid-October. That way, the organization can examine the
issue at its regular meeting, scheduled for the beginning of November.
In the meantime,
authorities say they are working to diversify the export destinations of
Taiwanese fruit. Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Japan are all markets in
which Taiwan is looking to expand.