Don’t bring meat from other countries into Taiwan – New African swine fever prevention rules impose heavy fines

Text / MOOK Scenic Spots Home compiled and reported
 
Recently, the African swine fever epidemic has continued to spread. Just three days after the new penalty standards were announced on the 14th, 41 cases of illegal meat being brought into Taiwan were detected, including 15 cases involving pork products from African swine fever-affected areas. Given that the current penalty benchmarks still do not get travelers to take the risks posed by the epidemic seriously, the Epidemic Prevention Bureau has amended the "Animal Disease Control Act."Starting from the 18th, those bringing pork products from affected areas into Taiwan will be fined NT$200,000 for a first offense and NT$1 million for a second offense.

The amendment to Article 45-1 of the "Animal Disease Control Act" took effect on December 14. Bringing animal products into Taiwan in violation of regulations will result in a fine of between NT$10,000 and NT$1 million.

If pork products are brought from African swine fever-affected areas, penalties will be issued based on the number of offenses: NT$50,000, NT$500,000, and NT$1 million. However, if other types of meat are brought in – regardless of whether they are pork products or not – the penalties for the first, second, and third offenses will be NT$10,000, NT$100,000, and NT$300,000 respectively.

The Epidemic Prevention Bureau reminds the public that common violations include bringing in meat products such as ham sausages, cured sausages, meat floss, and dried meats as souvenirs. Pet food and traditional Chinese medicines containing animal-derived ingredients are also not allowed. If you’re unsure whether an item you wish to bring is permitted, you can call the Epidemic Prevention Bureau or one of its four branch offices for advice. If you accidentally bring in prohibited items, you can declare them at the quarantine counter upon entry, and no penalty will be issued—though the items will be confiscated and destroyed.

African swine fever does not transmit to humans, but the virus can remain in meat for quite a long time. Once an area becomes affected, it can greatly impact local pig farmers and the production and sale of local pork. If Taiwan were to become an affected area, it could lead to a situation where no locally produced pork is available, and imported pork may not be cheap. More severely, based on past experiences in Spain and Italy, it can take 20–30 years to fully recover from an outbreak.