British pork to enter Taiwan market

Taiwan has agreed to allow British pork exports into its market, which is worth £50m, for the first time as part of a development that is expected to be beneficial for farmers and food producers.

The UK Government has secured the deal by working with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP).

The new agreement with Taiwan is expected is estimated to generate more than £50m over the next five years.

UK Food Minister George Eustice said: “Access to this new market in Taiwan is great news for our farmers and producers and gives a welcome boost to the pork production industry, already worth £1.3bn to the UK economy.

“This is a significant development for pork exporters and reinforces our reputation for producing high-quality food and drink, guaranteeing quality from farm to fork.”

The arrangement is expected to provide a new platform for UK-based exporters to further tap into the overseas demand for parts of the pig carcass that are not commonly purchased in the UK, including offal.

British pork was exported to more than 80 markets worldwide last year, generating revenues of £290m for the country.

UK International Trade Minister George Hollingbery said: “Following years of hard work by UK Government, the opening of the Taiwanese market to British pork will bring significant benefits to UK pork exporters.

“This follows a record level of UK food and drinks exports last year. This only goes to highlight the UK’s world-famous reputation for high-quality produce, and we are committed to maintaining those high standards as we leave the EU next spring.”

The development follows China’s agreement to lift its two-decade-long ban on UK beef exports last month, which was originally implemented following an outbreak of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).