Washington - Taiwan has agreed to let the United States begin shipping up to 7,500 tonnes of pork variety meats and up to 5,000 tonnes of pork muscle meats this year as part of a pact clearing the way for Taiwan to join the World Trade Organization, U.S. pork producers said on Friday.
In addition, after joining the WTO, Taiwan will be required by January 1, 2005 to open its market to pork products at a flat tariff rate of 15% for pork variety meats and 12.5% for pork muscle meats, the National Pork Producers Council said.
Before 2005, the pact allows Taiwan to set a tariff-rate quota for pork imports that over time will allow more imports at lower and lower tariff levels, the NPPC said.
The 12,500 tonnes of immediate access is a quota for the United States only and remain in place until Taiwan becomes a full member of the WTO, the NPPC said.
Full carry-over of any unused quota will be permitted each year, the NPPC said.
NPPC President Jerry King called the WTO pact a "home run" for U.S. pork producers.
The agreement won't immediately lift pork prices "out of their current duldrums," but it should help the long-term profitability of U.S. pork production, he said.
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