Taipei - Taiwan on Saturday lifted the ban on imports of Canadian beef, three years after Taipei halted imports following the outbreak of mad cow disease in Canada. "After evaluation by experts, we have decided to resume importing deboned beef from Canadian calves butchered under 30 months old, with dangerous parts like brain and intestines removed," Hsieh Ting-hung, an official from the Department of Agriculture, told reporters.
"So Canadian beef will arrive in Taiwan after a week at the earliest," he said.
Taiwan also banned the import of Japanese and Dutch beef in 2003. Hsieh said if these countries apply for resuming export to Taiwan, Taiwan will consider if it can resume imports.
Taiwan used to be the fifth-largest export market for Canadian beef, with annual imports worth 20 million Canadian dollars (17.78 million US dollars).
Taiwan banned the import of Canadian beef after a case of mad cow disease in May 2003.
Taiwan on Saturday also announced having lifted the ban on Chilean apples, imposed on May 7 after Taipei found a moth in a shipment of Gala apples from Chile, the Apple Daily quoted Ke as saying.
After the United States, Chile is Taiwan's the second-largest apple supplier, providing around 45,500 tons of apples each year.
