TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has extended a ban on the import of fresh sugar apples from China to cover the fruit in frozen form, reports said Tuesday (Jan. 18).
China slapped a ban on pineapple sugar apples, wax apples, and pineapples from Taiwan last year, claiming customs inspectors had found bugs inside the fruits. As a result, Taiwan focused on other markets, including Japan and Singapore, for its tropical fruit exports.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced a ban on the import of frozen sugar apples, saying Beijing did not have a scientific basis for banning the Taiwan-grown fruit, the Liberty Times reported.
As the harvest season for pineapple sugar apples reaches its peak ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Taiwan is planning to export 2,000 metric tons of the frozen fruit to Japan. The Council of Agriculture (COA) is preparing to export a total of 5,000 metric tons this year, with a similar amount to be sold inside the country.