April 07,2005

Baucus Praises Taiwan for Reopening its Market to U.S. Beef

Senator Pushed Country To Resume Taking Montana Beef

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Montana Senator Max Baucus today hailed the news that Taiwan willresume accepting U.S. beef beginning April 16, 2005.

Baucus praised the announcement and applauded Taiwan for following sound science inreversing the ban on U.S. beef implemented after the discovery of a Canadian-born BSE-infecteddairy cow in Washington state in December 2003.

"I'm pleased Taiwan based its decision on sound science to start taking U.S. beef,"Baucus said. "U.S. beef is the safest and highest quality in the world. I applaud Taiwan forleading Northeast Asia in lifting its ban. Taiwan is an important market for U.S. beef. I urgeJapan and Korea, two other important markets, to follow Taiwan's lead."

Last August, Representative David Tawei Lee, Taiwan's top diplomat in WashingtonD.C., visited Montana as part of a delegation of Ambassadors and top diplomats from Asiahosted by Baucus.

"Last summer, I ate Montana beef with Senator Baucus after touring a ranch outside ofGreat Falls. Now with this decision, I look forward to eating Montana beef in Taiwan," saidRepresentative Lee after the announcement.

Since Taiwan, Japan and Korea closed their borders to U.S. beef following the BSEincident in Washington state in December of 2003, Baucus has been working together withgovernment and business leaders to reopen those borders. In March 2004, he led a Montana tradedelegation to Asia to urge leaders there to resume taking Montana's world-class beef.

Following today's announcement, Baucus pledged to continue working with the Japaneseand Korean governments to reopen their borders as well.

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