The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Feb. 12, 2026, the signing of an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the United States and Taiwan. U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom was in Taipei at the time of the announcement and noted the agreement includes significant market access gains for U.S. beef and pork, as well as lamb and bison. Details are available in this USTR fact sheet.
Taiwan is the fifth largest market for U.S. beef, with exports valued at about $650 million annually. The U.S. is the island nation’s largest beef supplier. The elimination of tariffs on U.S. beef stands to strengthen that market for U.S. producers.
U.S. pork has been at a trade disadvantage with competitors in Taiwan with both tariff and non-tariff barriers. There are also consumer trust issues in the market related to the country’s policy on ractopamine residues. While there have been no violations or safety issues related to ractopamine in U.S. pork, Taiwan’s amendment of its zero-tolerance policy a few years ago generated negative publicity that has been difficult to overcome.
Halstrom also thanks the Trump administration, and specifically USTR, for working to open this key market for American agriculture.
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