RECOGNITION OF CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER FREE
STATUS
COMMUNICATION FROM THE SEPARATE
CUSTOMS TERRITORY
OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU
The
following communication, received on 18 June 2025, is being circulated at the
request of the Delegation of The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan,
Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.
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1. Pursuant to Article 6 of the Agreement on the Application of
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, regarding regional conditions, including
pest- or disease-free areas and areas of low pest or disease prevalence, and in
keeping with the principle of transparency, we would like to inform WTO Members
of the recently-gained classical swine fever (CSF) free status.
2. On 29 May 2025, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
officially recognized the animal health status of our territory as "free
from CSF".
3. Since the first occurrence of CSF in 1920, we have implemented a
series of measures dedicated to the surveillance, control, prevention and
eradication of this disease. The CSF vaccination programme in the zone has
ceased since 1 July 2023, and the surveillance, in accordance with
Articles 15.2.28 to 15.2.33 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, has been
implemented to detect clinical signs of CSF, demonstrating no evidence of
infection with CSFV in unvaccinated animals.
4. Following the implementation of measures as stated above, we applied
for the WOAH official recognition of the zone covering Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen
and Matsu areas as free from CSF in accordance with Article 15.2.3 of the
WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code on 23 August 2024.
5. Consequently, following a recommendation of the WOAH Scientific
Commission for Animal Diseases, the CSF free status was approved on 29 May 2025
by the World Assembly of WOAH Delegates in accordance with the adapted
procedure for the adoption of WOAH Resolution No. 20.
6. With our new animal health status, we would like to invite WTO
Members to inform their health and veterinary authorities so that restrictions
previously imposed by some may now be lifted. We look forward to
cooperating closely with our trading partners, and to discussing the resumption
of trade in relevant animals and animal products.
7. The official disease status information is available at:
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https://www.WOAH.int/animal-health-in-the-world/official-disease-status/
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https://www.woah.org/en/disease/classical-swine-fever/
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https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2025/06/2025-92gs-resolutions-final-en.pdf
8. The authority responsible for disease eradication and notification
is the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA), Ministry of
Agriculture (MOA). Further enquiries regarding this document may be addressed
to: daq@aphia.gov.tw.
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