[Politics] Control Yuan: Illegal import of Chinese snacks rampant, Ministry of Health and Welfare and 3 other agencies should study countermeasures.
bellala 央廣2h ago
The Control Yuan stated today (21st) that the rampant illegal import of Chinese snacks such as luosifen and spicy sticks containing excessive additives is a serious issue. Importing them by declaring them as 'soy protein food preparations' allows direct entry, and the regulations for personal use without inspection and the responsibilities of e-commerce platforms are yet to be reviewed. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Directorate General of Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance, the Bureau of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Digital Development Administration should study unified import regulations and countermeasures.
Supervisors Lin Wen-cheng and Tian Qiu-jin stated in a press release that the illegally imported Chinese snacks are mostly "three-no" products lacking production dates, manufacturers, and addresses. Potential import channels include smuggling, false declarations for personal use, and illegal import via postal packages and passenger luggage. From 2023 to 2025, the Food and Drug Administration and city/county health bureaus have investigated 135 instances of illegal sales of Chinese food, but have been unable to trace the actual sources and import channels of the goods.
Supervisors pointed out that these Chinese snacks have not been approved for import by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Importers should first apply to the Bureau of Foreign Trade for special permits. However, when goods are imported, the "tariff heading" and "commodity classification code" are self-declared by the importer or their entrusted customs broker, and misreporting or false reporting occurs frequently.
Supervisors stated that, for example, Chinese spicy sticks are often made from flour or soy products. If they are classified under different commodity codes due to differences in main ingredients, the import regulations will vary. If they are classified as "other miscellaneous food preparations," a special permit from the Bureau of Foreign Trade is required. If they are "soy protein food preparations," they can be imported directly without a special permit, creating a loophole in the regulation of Chinese snacks. The Directorate General of Customs Administration, the Bureau of Foreign Trade, and the Food and Drug Administration should study unified import regulations and countermeasures for food items that are prone to disputes.
Supervisors said that to meet the public's demand for importing small quantities of food for personal use, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has established relevant regulations. However, since 2025, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has discovered multiple cases of importing uninspected food under the guise of personal use, which are then illegally resold. The Ministry of Health and Welfare urgently needs to comprehensively review the frequency, quantity limits, and qualification review for personal use imports without inspection.
Furthermore, supervisors pointed out that Taiwan currently investigates violations of the Food Safety Act by the Ministry of Health and Welfare through keyword searches. After discovering violations, they coordinate with e-commerce platforms to delist products. However, e-commerce platforms are not clearly obligated to review listed products, nor are there defined penalties for platforms when sellers sell illegal food products.
Regarding the management of e-commerce platforms, supervisors said that upon inquiry with the competent authorities, the Digital Development Administration stated that it is responsible for assisting in real-time communication between competent business authorities and e-commerce platform operators. Substantive regulations for specific products or behaviors on e-commerce platforms fall under the purview of each competent business authority according to its governing laws. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that since the Food Safety Act targets sellers, e-commerce platforms are only considered providers of digital marketplaces. However, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is not the supervisory authority for e-commerce platforms, and platform operators may not necessarily assist in providing complete seller information.
Supervisors consulted expert and academic opinions and pointed out that e-commerce platforms should bear certain public responsibilities and regulatory obligations within their operational framework. They could refer to the EU's Digital Services Act, which clearly requires large online platforms to conduct pre-risk assessments, risk mitigation, and timely post-event handling for potentially illegal or high-risk products, commensurate with their scale and influence. They could also strengthen the "pre-approval" responsibility and "source disclosure and accountability" obligations of e-commerce platforms, requiring them to clearly indicate the identity of sellers and the origin of food products being sold. (Editor: Song Wan-yuan)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215740
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