Vowing to protect local farmers in anticipated Taiwan-US trade talks, the Council of Agriculture yesterday said that bilateral organic equivalence agreements permit Taiwanese organic products to be sold in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the US.
Yesterday, the council held a news conference in Taipei to mark the entry of Taiwanese organic products into foreign markets.
The Organic Agriculture Promotion Act (有機農業促進法) took effect on May 30 last year, and in October last year, Japan was the first country to sign an organic equivalence agreement with Taiwan, followed by Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US, the council said.
Photo: CNA
A “bilateral organic equivalence agreement” is when two countries agree to recognize each other’s organic certifications and products.
Taiwan’s first batch of sesame powder with an organic certification has been sold to Japan, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said.
Harvests of organic crops in Taiwan have increased to 170 tonnes per week, up more than 40 percent from three years ago, he added.
Last year, Taiwan imported US$1.36 billion in organic products imported from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the US, about half of all imported organic products, Agriculture and Food Agency Director-General Hu Jong-i (胡忠一) said.
Nearly 30 percent of imported organic products were from the US, agency data showed.
With the bilateral agreements, Taiwanese exports to those countries are likely to reach US$200 million, Hu said.
The council said that it expects to sign similar accords with India and Chile, while Paraguay and Peru are reviewing legislation and are promising partners.
While the EU accounts for 40 percent of Taiwan’s organic imports, the bloc has told the council that it needs two more years to integrate the opinions of its member states before signing an equivalence accord, Hu said.
Italy and the UK have shown more positive attitudes, he added.
Chen said that the council would protect domestic farmers if Taiwan and the US negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA).
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in a recorded speech for a videoconference hosted by the Washington-based Hudson Institute and the Center for American Progress on Wednesday said that in her second term, she would continue the nation’s cooperation with the US and begin negotiations toward an FTA.
Asked if the government would agree to import US pork containing ractopamine in exchange for an FTA with the US, Chen said that the council’s principles are to ensure food safety, protect domestic agriculture and abide by international trade rules.
Additional reporting by CNA
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