Taiwanese mango producers are to apply with Washington for permission to export their products to the US, the Council of Agriculture said yesterday, as exporters are eager to enter the US market.
Although Taiwan and the US signed an agreement on inspection procedures for mango exports in 1992, Taiwanese mangoes have yet to make it to the shelves in the US.
Of the 899.1 tonnes exported so far this year, 367.77 tonnes were bound for Hong Kong, followed by 365.92 tonnes to South Korea, 104.18 tonnes to Japan and 45.8 tonnes to China, council data showed.
Photo: CNA
They are followed by less than 7 tonnes each to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Canada, and less than 1 tonne each to Macau, Malaysia, Palau and Vietnam.
Many producers want to diversify to other export markets, especially the US.
Some producers have recently filled out export questionnaires required by the US, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Director-General Chou Hui-chuan (鄒慧娟) told the Central News Agency in a telephone interview.
The bureau is to review the forms compiled by the Taiwan Vegetables and Fruits Exporters’ Association before it applies for export permission, Chou added.
The 1992 agreement covers the application of sanitary measures for mango exports, but next to none have actually been sent, she said.
This is because it would take more than 20 days to ship mangoes to the US — longer than their expiration date — while air shipping is expensive, she said.
However, there is apparent demand for Taiwanese mangoes, as evidenced by department stores shipping gift boxes to Japan, Chou added.
To ship mangoes to the US within their freshness window, US authorities would first need to approve the applications and request additional documentation if needed, she said.
After approval, US officers would be sent to Taiwan to inspect each batch to make sure they meet the requirements, she added.
For example, regulations intended to prevent the spread of oriental fruit flies require mangoes to be steam-treated for at least 30 minutes at more than 47.5°C, Chou said.
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