Updated Wednesday, November 4, 2009 9:30 am TWN, The China Post news staff and AFP

U.S. says it is monitoring Taiwan beef import rules

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The United States welcomed Taiwan's decision to give greater access to U.S. beef imports but it also indicated to closely monitor possible artificial trade barriers to be erected by Taiwan with an intention of effectively blocking the entry of certain American beef products due to public concerns over mad cow disease. The U.S. has been looking forward to Taiwan authorities' move to “fully open its market to American beef and beef products on the basis of the bilateral protocol we have negotiated,” the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative's office said in a joint statement in Washington on Monday. The protocol that went into effect Monday in Taiwan allows imports of U.S. beef on the bone and other beef products including bone-in beef and intestines. The beef products must come from cows aged 30 months or younger.

The Department of Health first announced in Taipei its protocol decision on Oct. 23, drawing fire from some consumer rights advocates and lawmakers for allegedly ignoring mad cow disease concerns and giving in to pressure from Washington.

The U.S. statement said the protocol “is science-based and follows the guidelines of World Organization of Animal Health (OIE), as well as the findings of Taiwan's own risk assessment on the safety of U.S. beef.”

While Monday's decision by Taiwan's Cabinet expanded market access to U.S. beef, it still included “other additional domestic measures regarding beef and beef products,” the joint statement said.

“We are currently reviewing these measures to ensure they allow Taiwan consumers the opportunity to enjoy the same safe American beef and beef products that American families eat,” the statement added.

“We look forward to working with our partners in Taiwan to ensure that Taiwan's domestic requirements are consistent with the protocol, the science, the OIE guidelines, and Taiwan's international obligations,” the U.S. government agencies said.

Scientists believe mad cow disease was caused by using infected parts of cattle to make feed for other cattle, and that eating meat from infected animals can trigger Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of the fatal brain-wasting disease.

More than 200 people around the world are suspected to have died, most of them in Britain, from the human variant of the disease, which was first described in 1996.

Taiwan banned all U.S. beef imports in December 2003 after reports of mad cow disease in North America but it opened up to boneless beef imports in 2006 while keeping other offal restrictions in place.

To defuse the mounting opposition to the latest relaxation measure from consumers groups and the major opposition party in Taiwan, the Cabinet also announces a set of administrative measures along with easing U.S. beef imports.

Stressing that the government possesses full rights to guard the people's health and safety, the Cabinet put into force the measures of managing three supply sources -- original U.S. beef suppliers, customs entry, and marketing channels.

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