TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源), Minister of Health and Welfare, faced media queries at the Legislative Yuan (立法院), the unicameral legislature of Taiwan, on Wednesday (Aug. 6) regarding the U.S. tariffs. He did not directly address the ministry's stance, stating that the tariff negotiation team is working hard for the nation.
The Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee (社會福利及衛生環境委員會) in the Legislative Yuan (立法院) invited several ministries, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW, 衛福部), to discuss civil protection orders against domestic violence. Chiu was questioned before the meeting, but did not respond to inquiries about potentially abandoning established food safety policies regarding U.S. pork and beef.
Meanwhile, speculation suggests that the government may only label the origin of the U.S. pork and beef, using this as a bargaining chip to further open up the market for meat with ractopamin, a veterinary drug added to animal feed products. The Consumers Foundation, Chinese Taipei (CFCT, 消基會), issued a press release on Wednesday urging the protection of consumers' right to know. They advocated for a more explicit labeling of the meat, including the type of meat, to safeguard consumer health rights.
The U.S. had recently announced a 20% reciprocal tariff rate for Taiwan, exceeding those for Japan and South Korea. President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) emphasized that the tariff is temporary and assured ongoing negotiations for better rates.
