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USMEF says Taiwan's not open enough to U.S. beef

Taiwan’s severe market restrictions are still a problem for U.S. beef. Although one of the first Asian countries to reopen its market to U.S. beef after the BSE-related closures, beef exports to the island nation have gone down. Taiwan was one of the top five beef export markets from2005 through 2007. But Philip Seng, US Meat Export Federation president and CEO, says Taiwan only allows boneless muscle cuts from cattle 30 months of age or younger, while banning ALL bone-in cuts and variety meat. That’s why he says USMEF is promoting chilled middle meats in Taiwan, “Becauseobviously with the prices that have depreciated here in the United States these items are quite affordable but the real volume for our products would be more or less the short ribs, the bone-in beef. They like their bone-in beef in Taiwan much like they do in Korea.”

Seng says it would help greatly in Taiwan if the U.S. government would agree to a bone-in protocol from younger cattle, “If we could get the bone-in, even under 30 months, it would be significant for our industry and it would make the difference, basically, of Taiwan being a plus market or aminus market for the remainder of the year.” Seng says the ultimate goal, of course, is to get full access to the Taiwan market.