China lifts import ban on Taiwan beltfish and mackerel

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) China on Wednesday lifted its ban on imports of fresh chilled beltfish and frozen Atlantic horse mackerel from Taiwan amid an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光), a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), said in a statement. Chinese customs suspended imports of the two types of fish products from Taiwan beginning Aug. 3, 2022 "based on the consideration of biosecurity risk prevention", citing traces of the COVID-19 virus detected on the outer packaging of the two fishery products imported from Taiwan, according to Ma. However, China has recently downgraded its COVID-19 management protocols and canceled measures such as testing for the virus on all imported cold-chain food products, Ma said. "In order to promote the healthy development of cross-strait trade, the General Administration of Customs has decided to resume imports of chilled large-head hairtail and frozen mackerel from Taiwan from March 15," Ma added. China had suspended ...