Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/02/15
By: Yang Shu-min and Christie Chen 

Taipei, Feb. 15 (CNA) Taiwan has begun checking all passengers arriving in the country from Vietnam for possession of pork products after a pork sandwich brought into Taiwan by a traveler from Ho Chi Minh City tested positive for African swine fever (ASF).

It was the latest step taken by Taiwan to keep the ASF virus out of the country after a widespread outbreak in China.

The government has already imposed 100 percent checks of carry-on bags of passengers arriving from China and raised fines for having undeclared pork products to NT$200,000 (US$6,486) for first time offenders and NT$1 million for multiple offenders.

Authorities fear the spread of ASF, which is deadly to pigs, could destroy Taiwan’s pig-farming industry, which contributes more than NT$100 billion (US$3.24 billion) a year to the domestic economy.    [FULL  STORY]