Northwest Horticultural Council

Country Alerts

Taiwan Increases Pesticide MRL Inspection Rate Following Noncompliant Cherry Shipments

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) notified the NHC on July 28, 2023, that the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) identified eleven non-compliance pesticide residue violations on U.S. cherries between June 14 and July 17, 2023.

One Washington-based shipper was responsible for nine of the eleven violations, with the cause of the violations being the fungicide mefentrifluconazole (Cevya^®), for which there is no established MRL in Taiwan. The other two violations came from a Washington-based shipper for an unspecified pyrethroid not registered for use in Taiwan and a California-based shipper who exceeded the Taiwan MRL for flonicamid (Beleaf^®).

TFDA has reportedly increased pesticide MRL inspections of U.S. cherry imports. FAS believes that the current rate of inspection is 50 percent and may rise.

The NHC participated in a conference call with FAS and the American Institute of Taiwan (AIT) on July 31 to discuss developments and the generation of a cherry industry compliance plan required by TFDA.

Shippers are advised to be vigilant with product bound for Taiwan. Up to date MRL data for Taiwan can be found on the NHC’s MRL Database.

8/1/2023