1. Taiwan wants trade disputes with China to be handled under WTO framework

On December 15^th, The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) called for negotiations to be held under the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework after China announced that Taiwan's ban on imports of over 2,400 Chinese goods constituted a "trade barrier." Taiwan is willing to hold discussions on trade disputes with China based on the rules and mechanisms under the WTO, the MOEA said in a statement following Beijing's accusations. China has also banned the imports of various Taiwanese agricultural, fishery and food products in the past without warning, resulting in Taiwan having to initiate corresponding measures to ensure the rights and interests of operators, MOEA added. The Ministry of Agriculture stated that the MOA’s position is to safeguard the interests of domestic industries as the highest principle, and controls the import of 830 agricultural products from China, which is still not open at this stage.

2. Sampling of custard apple exports to China to be boosted

On December 15th, The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency announced that it would boost quarantine sampling of custard apple exports to China. Starting from December 14^th , quarantine sampling of exports of atemoya — a hybrid variety of custard apple — to China would step up from double the rate that other produce is subject to, to triple, the agency said. Inspectors would also intensify checks on boxes deep inside shipment containers, it added. If pests are found at the scene, the supplier would be requested to improve and its produce would then be resampled, with quarantine certificates only issued when no pests are found, the agency said.