Taiwan's Lifting Of US Beef Ban To Spur US Trade Talks

The Taiwanese parliament has passed a bill that will effectively lift a ban on certain beef imports from the United States, and should allow the government to restart talks under the existing US-Taiwan trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA).

Talks under the TIFA have been suspended since 2007, and, despite various efforts since then to recommence an economic and trade cooperation dialogue under its auspices, all attempts have foundered over ractopamine, a feed additive, that is allowed in the US, but not permitted in beef imports into Taiwan.