The referendum to ban imports of ractopamine pork has been rejected, Economic Affairs Minister Wang Mei-hua acknowledged that opening up Taiwan to Japanese food imports wlil become the focus in future mutual talks as Japan is very influential in the CPTPP.
Taiwan rejected four referendums on Dec. 18, including one banning the imports of ractopamine pork. The Japanese media has followed this referendum closely, as the result could pave the way for the government to open up Taiwan to imports of Japanese food products from areas exposed to radiation in Fukushima, thereby facilitating Taiwan's entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Economic Affairs Minister Wang Mei-hua acknowledged that Japan is very concerned about this issue, and scientific evidence and international standards will be used to make a decision.
Yang Chiung-ying, Legislator (KMT): “Would you be willing to open up to imports from Fukushima and four neighboring cities in exchange for membership in the CPTPP?”
Wang Mei-hua, Economic Affairs Minister: “ The issue of food products from Fukushima and four neighboring cities has been something that Japan has been concerned with for a long time, so it will be discussed in future negotiations.”
According to reports, the Council of Agriculture is set to adopt the "South Korean" method before the Lunar New Year and open up Taiwan to some agricultural products. They will not include mushrooms and aquatic products. The COA denied the reports, saying statements were taken out of context.
Lin Tai-hua, Legislator (DPP): “So you advocate opening up, you support opening up to these agricultural products from Fukushima, but are banning aquatic products?”
Chen Chi-chung, Agriculture Minister: “When we were talking about a so-called opening up to food products from Fukushima and four neighboring cities and whether only aquatic products would be banned, we were only responding to questions from the media about South Korea.
The COA said the decision should be based on scientific data. Current regulations are based on location, which does not comply with CPTPP trade regulations.
Cheng Yun-peng, Legislator (DPP): “Japan's foods are not necessarily irradiated. Taiwan says (its pineapples) don't have scale insects, and China insists they do.”
Chen Chi-chung, Agriculture Minister: “Since 2011, we have progressively focused on so-called regional adjustments, relaxing them into restrictions on so-called high-risk products. This information needs to be given to the public.”
The COA said the only places with a complete ban on products from Fukushima and four neighboring cities are China and Taiwan. Hong Kong and Macau only ban vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. South Korea bans some agricultural products, including all aquatic products. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the results of customs inspections of imported Japanese food products from March 2020 to December 2021. Around 180,000 products were inspected, and 232 were irradiated. However, they all met Taiwan and Japan's standards, so there were no products that violated standards.
四大公投結束後，日本各大媒體聚焦反萊豬公投，認為可能牽動福島食品解禁，進而影響台灣未來申請加入CPTPP進度。經濟部長王美花坦言， 日本很關切福島五縣市食品是否開放，會參照科學依據與國際標準。
國民黨立委楊瓊瓔提問:「為了我們要加入CPTPP，那你會願意來開放進口（福島五縣市食品）來做為交換嗎？」
經濟部長王美花回應:「日本福島五縣市的食品一直是日本關切的議題，所以未來的諮商一定會討論這樣的一個議題。」
外傳農委會預計在農曆年前，參照韓國模式先開放部份農產品，而菇類、水產類暫不開放。農委會主委陳吉仲否認，說遭斷章取義。
民進黨立委林岱樺問及:「你主張開放，同意開放福島縣的這個農產品，但是禁止他的漁產品？」農委會主委陳吉仲澄清，「我沒有說要所謂的開放這個福島五縣的這樣的一個食品，那只有水產品排除例外，是因為有媒體在問韓國的案例。」
陳吉仲表示，禁止福島五縣市食品輸台，應該回歸科學數據，但目前規定卻是以食品所在位置，不符合CPTPP國際貿易規定。
民進黨立委鄭運鵬指出:「不要去扣人家帽子，日本就是核食，像台灣人家就跟你說（鳳梨）沒有介殼蟲，（中國）都跟你說有了。」
農委會主委陳吉仲回應:「從2011年開始逐步的針對所謂的區域的調整，放寬成所謂的高風險產品的管制等，其實要把這些的資訊給所有的國人。」
農委會表示，目前全面禁止日本福島五縣市食品，只剩中國、台灣。港澳地區只禁止蔬菜、水果及乳製品，南韓則是日本國內限制流通的品項與水產品。衛福部則公布去年3月到今年12月中旬，邊境檢驗日本食品約18萬件，有輻射含量共232件，但都符合我國及日本標準，未有不合格案例。