A Taiwanese government decision to ban some United States beef cuts does not affect Canadian exports at this time.
However, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has asked Ottawa to express its concern over the decision, said Travis Toews, foreign trade chair and vice-president of the association.
“It was more of a political move and not based on science,” he said.
Taiwan’s parliament amended its food safety law on Jan. 5 and stopped imports of U.S. beef offal, ground beef and certain cattle parts deemed a risk for BSE. The ban on these products extends to any country that has had a BSE case for a period of 10 years from that country’s most recent case.
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It continues to accept U.S. bone-in beef from cattle younger than 30 months.
“It was targeted toward the U.S. who had just negotiated broader access,” Toews said.
Canada has access for boneless beef derived from cattle younger than 30 months. It does not ship ground beef or offal.
“We have been working hard at expanding our trade to at least expand to bone-in product,” he said.
The Canada Beef Export Federation reports Canada exported 2,880 tonnes of beef to Taiwan in 2008 and as of the end of 2009 expects to have shipped about 2,400 tonnes.
It is estimated the U.S. exported about 25,000 tonnes in 2009.
