Ministry of Agriculture: China's Unstable Market Makes Long-Term Reliance on Agricultural Exports Inadvisable

(Central News Agency reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, June 16) China recently announced it will resume purchasing Taiwanese pineapples, longan, and grouper. The Ministry of Agriculture issued a press release tonight, reiterating that China is not a stable or reliable long-term overseas market for Taiwan's agricultural products. It urges China to resume imports of Taiwanese agricultural goods in accordance with international trade norms and scientific principles.

The Ministry emphasized in its press release that agricultural export trade is not like retail market transactions, where one simply rejoices when a buyer appears. Instead, it is essential to seek reliable, trustworthy, and long-term trading partners.

The Ministry stated that the Chinese market is highly uncertain and risky. Based on past cases, China has suspended exports of Taiwanese agricultural products without scientific evidence or adherence to international standards, only to selectively reopen imports during specific events. This unpredictable pattern of opening and halting imports does not benefit Taiwan's agricultural exports; instead, it causes systemic harm to the industry and damages farmers' incomes due to uncertainty.

The Ministry pointed out that in recent years, China has unilaterally suspended imports of multiple Taiwanese agricultural products, including pineapples, longan, citrus fruits, and grouper, lacking concrete scientific evidence and ignoring Taiwan's requests for consultation. After severely impacting farmers' incomes, China now once again claims it will purchase Taiwanese pineapples, longan, grouper, and other products.

The Ministry noted that in 2022, China introduced the 'Regulations on the Registration and Management of Overseas Food Production Enterprises for Import,' requiring food enterprises from all countries to obtain prior approval and registration from Chinese authorities before their products can be sold in China. Taiwan formally submitted a list of qualified Taiwanese enterprises to China through the official mechanism of the 'Cross-Strait Agreement on Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation for Agricultural Products.' However, China has never provided a concrete response and has instead selectively registered only certain Taiwanese enterprises on a unilateral basis, without explanation. This amounts to de facto import restrictions on Taiwanese agricultural and food products.

The Ministry believes that China's practices, which violate international norms, clearly demonstrate that the Chinese market is highly risky and uncertain, and therefore cannot be considered a stable overseas market on which Taiwan's agricultural exports can long-term rely.

The Ministry reiterated that if China wishes to provide high-quality Taiwanese agricultural products to mainland consumers, it should initiate formal discussions and communication on quarantine and import-export conditions through the 'Cross-Strait Agreement on Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation for Agricultural Products,' and resume imports of Taiwanese agricultural products in accordance with international trade norms and scientific principles, ensuring smooth cross-strait trade. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150616