Taipei: As the Mid-Autumn Festival nears, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in Taiwan has issued a critical reminder to travelers, urging them to refrain from bringing pork products into the country due to the ongoing threat of African swine fever (ASF). This precaution is crucial in maintaining Taiwan’s status as one of the few East Asian countries free from the disease.
According to Focus Taiwan, ASF is currently affecting 82 countries globally, including 19 in Asia. Taiwan and Japan remain the only East Asian countries that have successfully kept the disease at bay. Du Li-hwa, acting director general of the MOA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency, emphasized the importance of vigilance at the borders and advised against purchasing meat online from international sources.
Du, who also serves as deputy chief of the ASF Central Emergency Operation Center, highlighted the communal practices during the Mid-Autumn Festival, such as exchanging mooncakes and barbecuing, as potential risks for ASF transmission. She urged the public to resist bringing or sending pork-filled mooncakes and similar gifts from abroad to help preserve Taiwan’s ASF-free status.
The ASF center reports that the Mid-Autumn Festival sees a spike in travelers, courier shipments, and international parcels that violate the ban on animal products, with foreign pork-filled mooncakes being a significant concern.
Taiwan has enforced stringent penalties since May 20, 2022, with first-time offenders facing fines of NT$200,000 (US$6,559) and repeat offenders NT$1 million for bringing pork products into the nation. Between August 1, 2018, and August 31, 2025, a total of 9,076 pork samples intercepted at the border were tested for ASF, with 949 testing positive. Most of these originated from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Although ASF poses no risk to human health, it is lethal to pigs and poses a significant threat to Taiwan’s pork industry, which is why the MOA continues to enforce strict measures to prevent its entry.
