Washington urged to stop pressuring Taipei on beef ban

TAIPEI: The United States will realize the value of the Taiwan market and should not use other issues to press Taiwan to give way on the beef issue, an external affairs official said yesterday.

Harry Tseng, who heads the Department of North American Affairs under the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" (MOFA), said the US will benefit from Taiwan's importation of US bone-in beef, although Taiwan has reinstated a ban on ground beef and beef offal.

"American beef exporters will understand Taiwan's process of inspecting US beef, which will boost their confidence in the Taiwan market," he said, noting that the first batch of US bone-in beef arrived in Taiwan last week.

Once the exporters become aware of the profits they could gain from the market, US lawmakers will understand "it is not necessary to combine this issue with others," and will stop putting the squeeze on Taiwan, he said.

He said the MOFA is instructing its officials in Washington to convey that message to the four US representatives who urged US Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk Wednesday not to resume trade and investment talks with Taiwan until Taiwan reverses a ban on US ground beef and beef offal.

Among the four representatives, Charles Rangel has visited Taiwan more than 30 times and is considered a good friend; therefore, he should understand Taiwan's stance on the issue, Tseng said.

Democratic Congressmen Rangel and Sander Levin, as well as Republicans Dave Camp and Kevin Brady, said in a letter to Kirk that they do not think the US should move forward with talks on a Trade Investment Framework Arrangement with Taiwan until Taiwan gives way on the beef issue.

They said they backed the USTR's move to explore options under world trade rules to make Taiwan drop its restrictions on US beef imports.

Taipei concluded a deal with Washington in October last year to lift a ban on imports of US bone-in beef, ground beef and beef offal.

However, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan voted to revise the law to force the government reinstate its ban on imports of American ground beef and beef offal.

Accusing Taiwan of being an unreliable trade partner, US officials have put on hold their talks with Taipei on a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement that might have led to discussions on a free trade agreement.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 01/22/2010 page2)