US organic exports to Taiwan to soar by 50% by 2025

Taiwan now represents a major market for US fresh organics. The Asian country is currently the fifth largest export market for US organic products, worth over US$90 million in sales in 2019. Now, with the equivalence arrangement agreed between the two countries in May 2020 coming into force, US organic sales in Taiwan are projected to rise by nearly 50% between 2020 to 2025, according to the USDA/FAS. The agreement allows organic products certified in the United States or Taiwan to be sold as organic in either market. The core benefit is to eliminate the need for organic operators to have individual organic certification to US and Taiwan standards, thereby avoiding a double set of costs for inspections and required recordkeeping.

The arrangement applies to products certified to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) organic standards or Taiwan organic regulations grown or produced in the United States or Taiwan; or have their final processing or packaging in the United States or Taiwan. The synergistic benefit from this settlement provides more options to US and Taiwan producers to source a wide range of fresh ingredients or processed products certified to US or Taiwan standards.