1.China resumes Taiwanese pomelo imports ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Ministry of Agriculture announced that China has lifted its ban on importing Wendan pomelos from Taiwan two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival.　The ministry's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said　that it received an email , informing the department of China's decision to resume Wendan pomelo imports through the Cross-Strait Agreement on Cooperation in Inspection and Quarantine of Agricultural Products platform.　The announcement came more than two years after the Chinese ban imposed on Aug. 3, 2022, and two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, when the fruit is traditionally eaten, on Sept. 17. Given the short notice, Taiwanese pomelo producers have yet to submit applications to sell the fruit to China, the ministry's Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) said.

2.FA: Taiwan is committed to safeguarding the rights of migrant crew members

Taiwan-caught fish remained on the biannual List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, released by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) on September 5^th (U.S. Eastern time). According to DOL, migrant fishers on Taiwanese distant-water fishing vessels are often deceived by brokers who provide false information about wages and contracts. In response to Taiwan-caught fish being included on the list, the FA said that it launched the "Fisheries and Human Rights Action Plan" two years ago aiming to systematically improve the rights of foreign fishers across various aspects, including working conditions, living conditions, and brokerage management. Measures taken include raising the minimum wage and insurance coverage for migrant fishers, requiring direct and full wage payments, keeping attendance records on board, and installing vessel surveillance systems on vessels. The agency said it also recruited an additional 60 inspection personnel since the launch of the plan and increased inspections. As a result, the proportion of migrant fishers receiving full wage payments as required by regulations reached 98 percent in the first half of 2024.