No to pork import surcharge: ChenRACTOPAMINE: Levying a health surcharge on US pork imports might be deemed a nontariff barrier, Chen Shih-chung said, while leaving room for further discussionsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterMinister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) yesterday said that he is not in favor of imposing a health surcharge on imports of US pork containing traces of the feed additive ractopamine. At a meeting of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s National Health Insurance Committee on Sept. 18, several members proposed imposing a food safety surcharge on US pork. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, center, answers questions about US pork containing traces of ractopamine at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Liou Wan-ju (廖婉汝) said that she supports the idea of imposing a health surcharge on importers of US pork containing ractopamine, which could balance out the difference in prices between US and local pork. Chen said that imposing a health surcharge on US pork might be deemed a nontariff trade barrier.

Source: Taipei Times September 30, 2020 16:18 UTC