TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US pork exporters expressed dissatisfaction with Taiwan inspectors in September, claiming they were responsible for decreased meat sales.

The US Meat Export Federation said the US exported US$17.1 million (NT$544.3 million) worth of pork to Taiwan between January and July, representing a 59% decrease compared to the previous year. It said this was the case even though customers in Taiwan want US pork.

The association claimed that Taiwan’s local inspectors are “increasingly harassing importers of US pork,” and said this was the reason for decreased trade. It said this situation was occurring as Taiwan’s pork price approached “record levels.”

While the price of pork has trended upward over the past decade, it has decreased since the beginning of 2024, according to statistics from Fubon Securities.

Data from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration shows Taiwan imported 4683.49 tons of pork from the US between January and July. This was down from 8514.71 tons during the same period in 2023.

Pork imports from the US have long been controversial in Taiwan the due to use of ractopamine by US producers. Taiwan eased rules in the import of US beef and pork in 2021 to allow pork containing the additive into the country.