News Releases for March 2004
March 22, 2004
For further information, please Contact the Governor's Office
Dalrymple, Taiwan Delegation Press To Open Beef Market
Lt. Gov. Invites Taiwan Officials To Tour North Dakota Beef Facilities
BISMARCK, N.D. - Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple and a delegation of North Dakota agriculture companies met Sunday (local time) with Costco Wholesale Management, the largest grocery and dry goods provider in Taiwan. Delegates noted that Costco carried many North Dakota products. These include Imation CD’s (Wahpeton); Zia Briosa pasta from Dakota Growers (Carrington); and frozen Bison patties. United States beef products, however, were missing from the shelves, according to Dalrymple.
“We are pleased to see so many North Dakota products displayed in Costco Taipei, including pasta products manufactured in Carrington, North Dakota,” Dalrymple said. “A clear disappointment, however, was the large display of Australian grain-fed beef, which has replaced U.S. beef on Costco’s shelves as a result of BSE. We are working hard to change that situation.”
Philip Wong, Costco Taiwan manager, told delegates that North Dakota pasta is a fast mover to the restaurant trade in Taipei; Costco’s beef merchandize, however, is just a small part of the market.
The company currently imports 42,000 lbs. of beef per week at $13.50 per pound into its three Taiwan stores. According to Wong, 42,000 lbs. per week was simply a “drop in the bucket” compared to Asian demand for beef/bison products. Costco management indicated their desire to return to USDA Choice Beef once the ban was lifted, an assurance that strengthened the delegation’s resolve to press Asian government officials toward a resolution of the beef import issue.
Business and trade officials urged Dalrymple to “speed the bison/beef talks along,” given the demand for quality beef from the U.S. As a result Dalrymple invited quarantine officials to North Dakota to inspect the state’s quality testing devices and provide scientific evidence demonstrating the safety of North Dakota beef products. The Lt. Governor also emphasized the continuing consumption and demand for beef products in the U.S.
“Our delegation is off to a strong start,” said Gov. John Hoeven. “Our efforts to lift the beef ban in Taiwan and Japan are an important part of the mission, and although it is early in the trip, we’re happy to hear that we’re making some progress. We look forward to meeting with Taiwanese officials in North Dakota sometime soon.”
Despite a disruptive political climate, the North Dakota trade delegation of 15 on Saturday was warmly received by ambassador level leadership; the deputy ministers of the 8,000 member Import/Export Association; and several high ranking Taiwan foreign affairs officials involved in business and agricultural sections, paving the way to increased business in Taiwan for delegates.
North Dakota is the eighth largest exporter to Taiwan, signifying a strong relationship between the state and the Asian nation. In addition to working on lifting the ban on beef products into Taiwan, delegates are forging business relationships in aerospace, homeland security and biotechnology, leading to enhanced business opportunities for North Dakota.
The objectives of the trade mission, which Hoeven announced March 9, are to strengthen North Dakota’s position as a supplier of products to Taiwan and Japan; discover and establish new business opportunities for exporting North Dakota goods and services to Asia; and seek sales and sales opportunities for North Dakota businesses.
E-mail comments to the Governor
