China suspends imports of more than 3,000 Taiwanese food products
China suspends imports of more than 3,000 Taiwanese food products
2022-08-02
China has suspended import of thousands of Taiwanese food products in a move that FDA officials say is politically motivated. The import ban affects products from more than 100 Taiwanese companies, and hard-hit products include honey, tea leaves and seafood. The Council of Agriculture says it will launch response measures to help producers cope with the sudden ban.
On the website for China’s General Administration of Customs, Taiwanese foodstuffs from are now listed as banned from import. The products are from more than 100 companies, including Kuo Yuan Ye, AGV, Kuai Kuai, I-Mei and Wei Chuan, with a total of more than 3,000 food items listed under the ban. Operators have launched emergency response measures.
Shih Tzu-tse
Food Association of Taiwan
We held a meeting this morning, and decided to have the food items first returned to us. However, China is our main market, so after the items are returned we aren’t sure how to go about selling them. It’s a real headache for us.
Chou Tzu-liang
Taipei Pastry Industry Vocational Union
Some pastry makers feel there are too many problems to deal with, so they’ve already begun shifting to new markets. They’ve begun selling in Southeast Asia, or in the U.S. So, they are less impacted by this ban.
Although producers have shifted distribution to markets in Southeast Asia and the U.S., many of the shipping containers already in China may need to be brought back to Taiwan. Any expired foods will need to be discarded, resulting in losses for producers. Exporters say they hope the government can help them diversify their markets to spread out risk. The suspension of imports is seen by many as a protest from China against a Taiwan visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Member of the public
It’s quite expected. The news over the past few days has been reporting on various actions by China.
Member of the public
They can’t totally rely on China, so we have to support them, we have to do more to help them.
One person called for everyone to buy up pastries and help the industry, while the Council of Agriculture also promised assistance.
Voice of Lin Chia-jung
Council of Agriculture
The Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs will provide relevant assistance to those companies and producers who are impacted. We will ensure they can register for help as soon as possible.
The COA says that honey, tea leaves and seafood are among the products most heavily affected by the ban. Though their export value was not high last year, the council says it will launch response measures. China alleges that lack of documentation is to blame for the suspension, but the FDA says that political factors could be at play. Processed food exports to China and Hong Kong reached US$646.21 million last year, which was less than the year before. Foodstuffs producers worry that the number could be even less this year. They hope to find new markets to reduce risk.
反制裴洛西訪台? 中國突襲禁我100多家食品進口
2022-08-02
美國眾議院長裴洛西訪台前一天深夜，中國海關總署，突然以資料缺件為由，對台灣100多家食品廠、3000多件產品下禁令，要暫停進口，其中不乏像 郭元益、愛之味、味全和維力等大廠，業者措手不及，農委會則坦言，受影響最嚴重的，包含蜂蜜、茶葉及水產，會提出因應措施，食藥署長吳秀梅 直說，這是政治因素干擾。
中國海關總署網站上，餅乾、糕點、麵包項目中，部分台灣食品廠的狀態，都被顯示暫停進口，對象包含郭元益、愛之味、乖乖、義美、味全等，100多家食品廠、3000多項產品，突如其來的禁令，讓食品業者措手不及，緊急展開因應！
[[台灣食品發展協會理事 石資澤]
“那我們今天早上開會，已經決定把它先提領回來了，可是我們主要的市場是中國，那些貨回來之後怎麼銷售，其實我們也很頭痛”
[[糕餅公會理事長 周子良]]
“有部分(業者)覺得好像很多難題，他們就開始轉移通路，轉到東南亞，轉到美國，所以這部份的受傷就比較少”
儘管之前已經將通路分散到東南亞和美國，但已經出口的貨櫃恐怕要運回，就怕效期有限，這些食品通通得報廢，業者著急無奈，希望政府協助媒合其他國際通路，分散市場風險，畢竟事情就這麼剛好，發生在美國眾議院議長裴洛西訪台前一天，很難讓人不做政治聯想。
[[民眾]]
“蠻預料之中，前幾天看新聞就是他們(中國)的動作還蠻頻繁”
[[民眾]]
“不能完全依賴(中國)，就是支持啊，多幫助他們”
不僅國人喊出用消費支持業者，農委會也親上火線回應。
[[聲源:農委會國際處處長 林家榮]]
“農委會跟經濟部會針對受影響的廠商跟產業，去做相關的協助，趕快讓他們能夠完成登記”
農委會說，受影響最嚴重的，包含蜂蜜、茶葉及水產，雖然這三個農產類別，去年出口金額已不多，但仍會提出因應措施，倒是食藥署長吳秀梅認為，中國用資料缺件的方式暫停進口，不排除是政治因素，尤其以2021年的出口統計來說，調製食品出口到中國和香港 高達6億4621萬美元，雖然已經逐年調降，但未來廠商恐怕還要繼續減低對中國依賴，否則動不動就被禁運，風險不言可喻！
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