Taiwan has responded to Macao’s ban on imports from a Taiwanese company after traces of Covid-19 were found in its shipment of mangoes, asking the local government to provide “scientific evidence” about the contamination.
Chen Chi-chung, chief of Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture (COA), said there is currently no scientific evidence that Covid-19 can be transmitted via packaged produce.
Last Thursday, Macao’s Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced a one-week suspension after samples from 100 kilos of mangoes imported from the company – which the bureau did not name – on 29 June reportedly tested positive for novel coronavirus.
According to IAM, the contaminated mangoes were destroyed and “the imports of products from the same source from the producer” will not be allowed to enter Macao.
In addition, samples collected from the external packaging of a batch of mangoes imported from Taiwan again tested positive for the virus on 1 July, prompting the bureau to suspend the application for import from the brand concerned also for one week from 3 July.
Chen said the move could hurt agricultural trade between Taiwan and mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. He insisted “only mainland China and the two SARs conduct nucleic acid tests to detect traces of Covid-19 [on products or packages]”.
The COA called on Macao to follow proper risk control protocols in line with international standards. Furthermore, they pointed out a number of countries who have raised concerns since November 2020 over Covid-19 restrictions on international trade imposed in mainland China and the two SARs, including the United States, Canada, India and the European Union, Central News Agency reported.
