ISDS Case Map
food safety | SPS
By taking the case to the WTO, the US will be able to "depoliticize" the issue, a CSIS fellow argues
The US Trade Representative Office said Friday that Taiwan has destroyed its bilateral agreement with the United States on beef imports and there is no basis for renegotiation of the issue.
The Consumers' Foundation demanded Tuesday that the government include prion tests in its inspection of US beef imports to detect any possible bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) contamination of the products.
Taiwan's legislative Yuan Tuesday banned the sale of US beef to that island country, a move that infuriated US beef exporters and could lead to trade disputes with the United States.
In a reversal of a negotiated deal with Washington, Taiwanese lawmakers on Tuesday banned imports of some kinds of beefs from the United States, citing health concerns.
Health concerns and angry protests have prompted partial bans on US beef imports in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea – most recently by Taipei on Tuesday. The recurring dispute has strained relations.
The head of Taiwan's National Security Council urged lawmakers and the public not to demand a reopening of talks with the United States on controversial beef imports, though he said he would "respect the final decision by the legislature" and "the people's right to initiate a referendum on the issue."
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has voiced hopes of reaching a free-trade agreement with the United States following a decision by the island to allow more US beef imports, a report said Wednesday.
US-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks are expected to be resumed by the end of this year now that the issue of beef imports from the US has been resolved, Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang said Friday.
According to a draft of the free trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union, once the FTA takes effect, European beef that has a higher risk for mad cow disease than U.S. beef could be allowed into the country.
