China Halts Imports of Pineapples From Taiwan

On Feb. 26, China’s General Administration of Customs announced on its website that imports of pineapples from Taiwan would be suspended as of March 1. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told reporters that harmful organisms had been detected “multiple times” on imported pineapples from Taiwan. He went on to say that if transmitted, these organisms could “seriously threaten mainland Chinese agricultural production and ecological safety.” Ma further stated that to avoid the risk of an agricultural epidemic, China’s General Administration of Customs would suspend all imports of pineapples from Taiwan with effect from March 1, 2021. However, he went on to clarify that this was a “routine biosafety precaution” based on science and in accordance with mainland Chinese laws and regulations. In response, trade officials in Taiwan encouraged local consumers to purchase more pineapples and support local farmers. In recent years, pineapples have ...