The United States and Taiwan have signed a new organic equivalence arrangement allowing organic products certified in the United States or Taiwan to be sold as organic in either market.
The arrangement (effective May 30, 2020) covers products certified to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations or Taiwan organic regulations that are grown or produced in the United States or Taiwan; or have their final processing or packaging in the United States or Taiwan.
“This equivalence arrangement streamlines trade in certified organic goods with Taiwan, a key international partner in the organic market sector,” said Under Secretary Greg Ibach.
“This arrangement protects and increases access for American organic farmers, ranchers, and businesses to the fifth largest US export market for USDA certified organic products.”
The new deal eliminates the need for organic operators to have separate organic certification to the US and Taiwan standards, which avoids a double set of fees, inspections, and paperwork.
Taiwan is the fifth largest export market for US organic products, with sales approaching $92 million in 2019 and is forecasted to grow by almost 50% over the next five years, based on Organic Trade Association and USDA analyses.
Taipei, Taiwan. Photo by Thomas Tucker on Unsplash