萬國法律事務所

For some time, wine importers in Taiwan have complained that Taiwan’s wine inspection rules are unnecessarily more restrictive when compared to international standards.  In response to these complaints, Taiwan’s Council for Economic Planning and Development convened a coordination meeting earlier this year and as a result, it was decided that a request for relaxation of the rules for the inspection of imported wine would be made to the Ministry of Finance.

It was also decided that the Ministry of Economic Affairs would be requested to assist the Department of Health and the Ministry of Finance in gathering data regarding standards for liquor sanitation and inspection systems utilized by other developed nations for reference and study during the review of Taiwan’s own liquor sanitation standards.

Taiwan’s Council for Economic Planning and Development explained that importers of alcoholic beverage are very pleased with the decision to reasonably relax Taiwan’s inspection standards for imported wines.

The Ministry of Finance, per the initial plan, will carry out an adjustment of the present inspection standards and revise the designated unit for inspection batches for imported wines from the previous nine liters to ninety, and decrease by half the minimum average cost, insurance and freight (CIF) price per liter from a minimum of NT$ 8,000 to a minimum of NT$ 4,000, in order to alleviate the concerns expressed by the wine importers that it is not possible to obtain overseas certification for small-volume shipments of expensive wines.  As planned, future imports of qualifying wine will no longer be required to have a bottle opened for the purpose of inspection.

The Ministry of Finance’s current plan additionally provides that wines imported in batches not exceeding 90 liters in volume and which have a minimum CIF price of NT$ 4,000, and which is identified on a list of wines certified by the government of the country of origin or by its representative in Taiwan as being produced by a winery that is deemed safe in connection with health issues, and which is approved by the relevant authority in Taiwan, will not be required to have attached a health certificate.

According to the Council for Economic Planning and Development, the Ministry of Finance has already completed necessary communications with the economic representative offices of foreign nations that maintain foreign chambers of commerce in Taiwan regarding the formulation of inspection rules for imported wines, and also that the same has been conducted per World Trade Organization standards.  The inspection rules will closely mirror the provisions of Article 5 of the WTO/SPS agreement and will comply with international standards.  It is hoped that these new standards will prevent suspicion that Taiwan is utilizing any hidden obstacles to restrict free international trade.