Pineapples grown in Taiwan are expected to enter the U.S. market this year pending approval of regulatory revisions, the Ministry of Agriculture said March 4.
According to the MOA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service filed a notice March 3 in the Federal Register to propose revisions to import requirements for fresh pineapples grown in Taiwan.
Under current U.S. regulations, fresh pineapples from Taiwan must be at least 50 percent Smooth Cayenne by lineage in order to be authorized, and may only be imported into Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, among other conditions.
As part of efforts to continuously expand the global market for Taiwanese fruit, the MOA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency filed a request to the USDA in 2010 to expand the import authorization, and submitted relevant information and engaged in technical consultations with U.S. authorities.
The APHIS said in the public notice that, in response to the request from Taiwan, it has prepared a pest assessment and a risk management document for the public to review and comment on. It will consider all comments received on or before May 4, 2026, and announce its decision in a subsequent notice.
The MOA said pineapples are a major fruit export of Taiwan given their soft, delicate and juicy texture with very fine fibers. The country exported 16,892 metric tons of pineapples in 2025, valued at NT$750 million (US$23.66 million), to more than 10 countries and territories such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
According to the MOA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service filed a notice March 3 in the Federal Register to propose revisions to import requirements for fresh pineapples grown in Taiwan.
Under current U.S. regulations, fresh pineapples from Taiwan must be at least 50 percent Smooth Cayenne by lineage in order to be authorized, and may only be imported into Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, among other conditions.
As part of efforts to continuously expand the global market for Taiwanese fruit, the MOA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency filed a request to the USDA in 2010 to expand the import authorization, and submitted relevant information and engaged in technical consultations with U.S. authorities.
The APHIS said in the public notice that, in response to the request from Taiwan, it has prepared a pest assessment and a risk management document for the public to review and comment on. It will consider all comments received on or before May 4, 2026, and announce its decision in a subsequent notice.
The MOA said pineapples are a major fruit export of Taiwan given their soft, delicate and juicy texture with very fine fibers. The country exported 16,892 metric tons of pineapples in 2025, valued at NT$750 million (US$23.66 million), to more than 10 countries and territories such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News