Taiwan to lodge complaint with WTO against China’s suspension of fruit imports

Taiwan has decided to lodge a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China over the suspension of imports of the island’s fruits citing pest concerns. As per Kyodo News report, Taiwan’s deputy agriculture minister Chen Junne-jih told reporters that Taipei will take the matter of China’s ban on two kinds of apples in an apparent attempt to squeeze the self-ruled democratic island’s economy to the sanitary and phytosanitary committee of the WTO in October. Taiwan would seek WTO’s intervention if China refuses to negotiate. 

Reportedly, Chen has also said that Taiwan has been asking Beijing to provide scientific evidence of discovering pests. The senior Taiwanese official also said that island’s government still hopes that the matter with the mainland is resolved through negotiations. On September 19, China banned the import of Taiwan’s sugar apples and wax apples after previously suspending the imports of the island’s pineapples. Each time, Beijing alleged that the presence of “bugs” prompted the suspension. 

COA demands evidence from China

As per CNA report, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture (COA) has demanded China to produce evidence of such finds but is yet to receive a reply. After the island takes the case with WTO, the committee in charge of disputes under the Agreements on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) might discuss the issue in November.

Following the second ban on fruit imports from Taiwan, the island’s foreign minister slammed the “hostile move” as the relations between both sides have continued to deteriorate. Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu said on Twitter, “Following a series of military threats, the #PRC is weaponizing trade by announcing an immediate ban on #Taiwan’s custard & wax apples” referring to the People’s Republic of China by its acronym. 

In recent months, China has significantly hardened its stance on Taiwan which it claims as its own territory. Last month, the Chinese General Administration of Customs said in its statement that it had detected pests called Planococcus minor or citrus mealybug in the imports of Taiwanese custard and wax apples. According to Chinese authorities, the suspension of imports of the two fruits was “to prevent the risk of plant epidemics.” Earlier, in a news conference, Chen had said of the ban, “We cannot accept this.”

IMAGE: AP