Japanese exporters will soon be required to enclose a certificate of origin and radiation residue test resultson consignments bound for Taiwan.
The new regulations, being imposed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW), will take effect on 15 May, according to the China Post.
The radiation residue results must be attained from the Japanese government, agencies approved by the Japanese government or Taiwan's Food and Drug Administrationagency. The origin documents must clearly state the name of the cityor regionwhere the produce was grown.
The regulations apply to fruit produced in the Miyagi, Iwate, Tokyo, and Ehime areas. Meanwhile, five prefectures surrounding the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster will continue to have limited access to the Taiwanese market.
The MHW said the regulations are aimed at guaranteeing food safety for infants and children, according to the China Post.
The move has frustrated Japanese traders and export authorities, who have questioned why the additional requirements have been applied. “Taiwan's policies are unbelievable,” Komatsu Michihiko of Tokyo-based Interchange Association told the China Post.
