In an editorial in the October issue of its monthly publication Topics, the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Taipei said that the lesson for the U.S. government is that the interests of the business community as a whole should take precedence over the concerns of any particular sector. It was a disservice to allow the beef issue to hold up trade negotiations that could benefit numerous other industries, it stated.

"Considering the frequency and political sensitivity of agricultural trade issues, care must be taken that the beef imbroglio is not followed by similar impasses over rice, port, or other commodities," the editorial states.

On Taiwan's part, its officials repeatedly assured their U.S.

counterparts that the beef issue would be speedily resolved, only to have it drag on interminably, which caused resentment in Washington, the magazine said.

"It would have been preferable to alert the U.S. side that the matter would not lend itself to a quick fix," the editorial said.

Taiwan's Cabinet-level Department of Health (DOH) announced on Nov. 2 amended regulations on U.S. beef imports, officially lifting a ban on U.S. bone-in beef, ground beef and beef offal from cattle younger than 30 months.

While AmCham expressed relief over the resolution of the beef issue, which it said had become a major "trade irritant" between Washington and Taipei, it noted that the dispute over the expansion of U.S. beef imports has not yet subsided in Taiwan.

Since the Taiwanese government announced on Oct. 23 its decision to expand imports of U.S. beef, several civic groups have been pushing for renegotiation of the beef protocol with the U.S. and have launched a drive to collect 90,000 signatures in 14 days in the first step to petitioning for a referendum to be held on the issue.

Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, said Wednesday that the petition drive is not politically motivated and that renegotiation on U.S. beef imports is the only resolution to the controversial issue.

However, DOH Minister Yang Chih-liang vowed on Nov.2 to introduce a series of measures that would effectively block controversial U.S.

beef products from entering Taiwan.

AmCham, in its editorial, forecast that the argument would be won in the marketplace when Taiwan consumers go to the supermarkets and restaurants.

(By Rachel Chan)