Taipei, October 1 (CNA) The Cabinet-level Agriculture Council (COA) on Friday sent documents to the Taiwanese World Trade Organization (WTO) mission as it prepares to file “concerns specific trade agreements “in November regarding China’s decision to suspend imports of wax apples and custard apples from Taiwan.

COA chief Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) told reporters that on Thursday China failed to provide Taiwan with an official explanation for the suspension of imports; accordingly, Taiwan will bring its concerns to the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee).

The WTO committee oversees the implementation of the “Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures”, also known as the SPS Agreement, and provides a forum for discussion on animal health measures and plant and food safety affecting trade.

On September 19, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Department of the General Administration of Customs of China issued a notice announcing a suspension of importation of Taiwanese wax apples and cream apples after discovering the cochineal Planococcus minor in several shipments. from Taiwan this year.

The suspension took effect on September 20, one day after the notice was issued.

After pineapple imports were suspended in late February, the unexpected move marked the second time this year that China has suspended fruit imports from Taiwan against mealybugs.

In response, the COA dismissed the charges and asked China to further explain its unilateral decision by the end of September.

At that time, the board also noted that if China did not provide an acceptable response, Taiwan would file a dispute settlement case with the WTO in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Taiwan Bureau of Chinese Affairs spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) said on Wednesday Beijing discovered gray pineapple mealybugs alongside the previously mentioned Planococcus minor, as well as the presence of germs that infect galls. cocoa blossoms, on wax apples and Taiwanese custard apples. .

In response, Chen said Thursday that China had only provided Taiwan with a single A4 sheet showing the number and date of items that failed inspection. No photographic evidence or scientific evidence was included, he argued, urging China to provide scientific evidence to support its claims.

The agriculture minister said several steps had been taken to resolve the bug issue since last year, and the COA informed Chinese authorities of the improvement measures in September.

However, China has always decided to unilaterally suspend the importation of potatoes and potatoes from Taiwan, Chen said, expressing hope that the trade dispute can be resolved through the cross-strait quarantine mechanism. before the next ordinary meeting of the SPA Committee.

According to the COA, if the dispute is not resolved by the end of October, Taiwan’s Permanent Mission to the WTO will raise its trade concerns at the SPS Committee meeting scheduled for November 3-5.