The government will launch new measures May 15 to tighten control of Japanese food imports and to protect Taiwanese consumers, the Executive Yuan said this afternoon at its "Straight Talk" teatime event for international media.
The measures are also intended to rebuild Taiwanese people's confidence in foodstuffs from Japan and make information more transparent, indicated Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) Vice Minister Shiu Ming-neng. He urged Japanese authorities to address this issue and take necessary and reasonable measures as quickly as possible.
In March this year, Taiwanese authorities discovered that banned food items from five radiation-hit Japanese prefectures—Fukushima, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma—had somehow made their way into Taiwan under fake labels of origin. This caused much concern with consumer groups and elected representatives calling on the government to step up control of Japanese food imports, said Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun.
In response, the MOHW announced that the ban on foodstuffs from the five prefectures remains in place and that starting May 15, foods from other prefectures must be accompanied by a Japan government-issued certificate of origin. In addition, foods from high-risk areas must carry radiation inspection certificates.
Urging both Japan and Taiwan to tighten border controls and prevent similar incidents in the future, Shiu said Taiwanese businesses that violate the law will be punished. However, if it was Japanese businesses that falsified the labels to circumvent Taiwan's import restrictions, they harm the consumers and governments of both countries.
Secretary-general Lo Koon-tsan of the Association of East Asian Relations stressed that Taiwan and Japan should cooperate through all channels. As the two sides hammer out the details of the new control measures, Taiwan will continue conducting risk assessment over Japanese food imports and take response measures accordingly.
The value of Japanese food imported into Taiwan has grown by nearly US$100 million annually over the past three years, with Taiwan becoming Japan's fourth largest trade partner and Japan the third largest partner of Taiwan, according to Yang Shu-mei, a deputy director from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. To restore the imports and rebuild Taiwanese consumer confidence, Japanese authorities should provide samples of government-issued certificates of origin and radiation testing, as well as a list of agencies authorized to issue these documents.
To assuage public concern, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have issued numerous statements on food radiation safety since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, said AEC Deputy Minister Chou Yuan-ching. The AEC will continue offering professional testing services and provide credible evidence on the safety of the products.
Asked by journalists about the scientific basis for the new control measures and what impacts are expected on bilateral trade relations and food businesses, Vice Minister Shiu said that the measures are based on analyses of over 60,000 inspections and would be reviewed and adjusted after each phase of implementation.
Shiu urged Japanese authorities to thoroughly check the authenticity of the origin labels and to provide Taiwan with information on their probe into any label tampering that may have occurred in Japan. Taiwan has already completed its investigation but awaits the results of the probe into Japanese exporters. Such information would be useful for cross-checking and can help both sides better focus their border controls.
As for whether the label tampering incident will impact Taiwan-Japan trade ties, Secretary-general Lo and Deputy Director Yang characterized it as an isolated incident that is not expected to affect relations. Thanks to strong bilateral ties, Taiwan and Japan should be able to resolve the matter in a rational manner while maintaining friendly relations.