new Import Inspection System for Alcoholic Beverages on Tap for 2006

　　After talks with foreign chambers of commerce, the Department of National Treasury, Ministry of Finance, has announced new Inspection Regulations for Imported Alcohol that have been formulated in consideration of health management and the prevention of imports of counterfeit alcoholic beverages as well as the need to protect consumer rights and the interests of importers. The new regulations, which are to be implemented in 2006, have won the unanimous approval of the foreign chambers of commerce.

　　According to the regulations, foreign alcoholic beverages that are imported in the future may be inspected by batch; in other words, an importer can apply for inspection of an entire batch of alcoholic beverage so long as its brand, place of origin, alcoholic content, type of product, and packaging materials are the same. Inspection will be one of three types: by batch, by random inspection, or by documentary approval. The Department of National Treasury points out that for specific low-risk alcoholic beverages, such as those provided with an inspection report issued within the previous two years by a foreign inspection institution under mutual recognition with Taiwan, documentary customs clearance can be adopted.

　　Foreign suppliers are also intensely concerned about import approval for alcoholic beverages that are subject to certain conditions, such as the simultaneous global release of Beaujolais, that make it impossible to provide inspection samples three to seven days ahead of time as required by the regulations. The Department of National Treasury explains that in such situations, or in cases where a huge volume of shipment imposes a storage burden on the importer, or cases in which the alcoholic beverage being imported requires special storage conditions, the importer may apply for “advance release” approval.

　　The new inspection system is to be implemented next year in two stages, depending on the type of alcoholic beverage involved. Beginning Jan. 1, it will cover beer, fermented fruit beverages, fermented grain beverages, and other fermented beverages; on July 1, it will be extended to all over alcoholic beverages.

　　To familiarize businesses with the new inspection procedures, on Sept. 1 this year, the Ministry of Finance will inaugurate a four-month trial period during which inspections will be offered free of charge. In addition, imported alcoholic beverages that participate in the inspection process and that pass inspection by the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, MOEA, or for which inspection reports or certifications that comply with the stipulations of Article 6 of the Inspection Regulations for Imported Alcohol are submitted, may be cleared by documentary inspection for two years following the formal implementation of the new inspection system. For more related information, please visit http://gazette.nat.gov.tw/EG_FileManager//eguploadpub/eg011141/ch04/type1/gov30/num1/Eg.htm, or http://www.mof.gov.tw/content.asp?CuItem=24934&CtUnit=11&BaseDSD=5.

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