The dispute over the U.S. beef import continues, and AIT officials are saying that if Taiwan wishes to resume the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with them, Taiwan will have to loosen the restrictions set on lean-meat enhancing chemical on the meat products from the U.S. In response, Premier Wu Den-yih says that the government will not seek economic cooperation at the cost of sacrificing people's health, with the Department of Health also indicating that it has no intention of lifting the ban on the feed additives in the meantime.

Several batches of the U.S. beef imports have been found to contain the lean-meat drug, which causes a huge stir in the public and affects the bilateral economic and trade talks between Taiwan and the United States.

Rick Ruzicka, director for Trade and Commercial Programs at the American Institute in Taiwan, made the comments at a seminar held in Washington, saying that Taiwan has lost congressional support for the negotiations if it fails to implement a beef protocol it signed with the U.S.

Facing the tough attitude from the United States, Premier Wu Den-yih says the TIFA is necessary but the negotiation rounds have to be mutually beneficial.

The government has to safeguard the health of its citizens and those beef without such drug can still be imported into Taiwan.

While ractopamine is still a banned substance in Taiwan, Department of Health says it adopts a zero-tolerance policy in meat products whether from at home or abroad and it has no plans to amend the value in a near future.

Council of Agriculture says the issue of such chemical is currently being discussed in the WTO and Taiwan will closely watch the result.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is a bilateral consensus to resume the TIFA negotiation talks and it will continue to communicate with the United States.

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