Taiwan Amends the Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Plants and Plant Products

On July 31, 2024, Taiwan's agricultural department issued amendments to Part B of the Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Plants and Plant Products to Taiwan, effective immediately.

The revision updated quarantine requirements for nine viruses. Plants or plant products susceptible to the following viruses from affected regions must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporting country's plant quarantine authority. This certificate must confirm that the plants or plant products have been laboratory-tested and found free from the corresponding viruses prior to export. Otherwise, they will be destroyed or returned:

• Columnea latent viroid (Pospiviroidae, Pospiviroid)

• Impatiens necrotic spot virus (Bunyaviridae, Tospovirus)

• Pepper chat fruit viroid (Pospiviroidae, Pospiviroid)

• Tomato apical stunt viroid (Pospiviroidae, Pospiviroid)

• Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (Virgaviridae, Tobamovirus)

• Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (Pospiviroidae, Pospiviroid)

• Tomato mottle mosaic virus (Virgaviridae, Tobamovirus)

• Tomato planta macho viroid (Pospiviroidae, Pospiviroid)

• Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (Geminiviridae, Begomovirus)

In June 2024, Taiwan conditionally approved the importation of Canadian fresh apples (Malus spp.), provided they adhere to specific pest and disease management measures, particularly for Cydia pomonella L. Import requirements include compliance with Taiwan's general quarantine regulations for the importation of plants and plant products, as well as specific conditions for Canadian apple imports. These conditions cover requirements for orchards, packing facilities, cold storage, sorting, export quarantine, transportation, and import quarantine.

Importantly, the import quarantine will verify the phytosanitary certificate issued by the Canadian plant quarantine authority, which must certify that the apples are free from the following pests and diseases:

• Cydia pomonella

• Conotrachelus nenuphar

• Erwinia amylovora

• Frankliniella occidentalis

• Rhagoletis pomonella

• Anarsia lineatella

Violations of the quarantine requirements will result in the shipment being returned or destroyed.