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Following declining production in 2021 due to COVID-19 and outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), EU chicken meat production is expected to resume growth in 2022 and 2023. The EU chicken meat trade surplus will decrease as imports are growing and exports will continue to decline. As consumption in hotels, restaurants and institutional (HRI) outlets resumes, demand for inexpensive chicken meat, especially from Brazil and Thailand, is rising.

The European Commission will allocate €185.9 million (approximately $197.4 million) in 2023 for the promotion of European Union agri-food products. This program will focus on the promotion of agri-food products that align with the objectives of the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy.

U.S. beef exports to East Asia in 2022 are again on record pace after a record year in 2021. Despite economic uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, continued global supply chain challenges, and a competitive global beef market, U.S. beef exports to East Asia, both in value and volume, were outstanding in the first half of 2022.

Warm and dry summer conditions have driven the EU’s MY 2022/23 citrus production down to 10.5 million metric tons (MT). The production decline has been especially steep in the case of orange production, which is anticipated to decline by nearly 13 percent.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.

On November 30, 2022, the European Commission proposed a revision of the 1994 Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste. Some of the proposed requirements may impact agri-food sectors and U.S. exports of processed food and beverages to the European Union.

The European Commission has published a draft of Article 118 of the EU Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (EU) 2019/6, which extends the EU ban on the use of certain antimicrobials in animals and products of animal origin to imports into the Union.

On November 9, 2022, the European Commission published a Communication on the availability and affordability of fertilizers to propose solutions to the important increase in prices that EU farmers are facing. The Communication was met with heavy criticism by European farmers who expected more impactful solutions.

Since the previous report, Taiwan has granted new approvals for imports of genetically engineered (GE) products for processing, food, and feed use. Taiwan has never permitted domestic production of GE crops or animals. In 2021, Taiwan imported close to $1.2 billion of U.S. GE crops including soybeans, corn, and cotton, accounting for 30 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the island.

On December 2, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published a notice for public comment on 173 products from the European Union (EU) that are applying for protection as geographic indicator (GI) products.

The European Union’s (EU) complex and lengthy policy framework for biotechnology creates a challenging environment for research and limits access to innovative tools for EU farmers.

Since 2019, Taiwan took a cautious attitude regarding the COVID-19 pandemic but is now finally loosening its border controls and mask mandates. Unlike during the pandemic when people were more inclined to cook at home, now consumers are again looking for quick and convenient food and beverage options.