Finance Ministry Formulates Liberalized Inspection Rules for Grape Wine Imports

       To alleviate the concerns of foreign companies and grape wine importers that Taiwan’s wine inspection rules are stricter than international standards, the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) called a coordination meeting in late February. The meeting resolved to ask the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to consider liberalizing rules for the inspection of imported grape wine.

　　The meeting’s resolution also asked the Ministry of Economic Affairs to assist the Department of Health and MOF in collecting information on the liquor sanitation standards and inspection systems of major countries for use as a reference in reviewing Taiwan’s liquor sanitation standards.

　　CEPD reports that importers of alcoholic beverages are happy about the decision to adjust Taiwan’s inspection standards for imported liquor. The necessary revisions of related laws and regulations are expected to be completed by mid-April at the earliest.

　　According to the preliminary plan, MOF will adjust current inspection standards and change the inspection batch on imported grape wine from the original nine liters to 90 liters, and reduce the minimum average C.I.F. (cost, insurance and freight) price per liter from a minimum of NT$8,000 to a minimum of NT$4,000, so as to relieve the concerns of grape wine importers that overseas certification cannot be obtained for small-volume shipments of high-priced wine. In the future, imported grape wine that meets the conditions will be exempt from the requirement to open a bottle for inspection.

　　MOF’s preliminary plan also adds a provision that imported grape wine that does not exceed 90 liters per batch and that has a C.I.F. price of at least NT$4,000, that is on the 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 safe from health concerns, and that is approved by the competent authority in Taiwan, will not need to come with health certification attached.

　　CEPD also reports that MOF has communicated fully with the economic offices of foreign countries in Taiwan and with foreign chambers of commerce in the process of formulating rules for the inspection of imported liquor, and that the process was carried out in accordance with WTO standards. The rules will adhere as closely as possible to the spirit of Article 5 of the WTO/SPS agreement and to international norms so as to avoid any suspicion that Taiwan is putting hidden restrictions on international trade.

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