Pig guts, fists fly in Taiwan parly Aussies protect wine industry

Taipei – Legislators from Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party threw pig guts and exchanged punches with other lawmakers in parliament yesterday as they tried to stop the premier taking questions, in a bitter dispute over easing US pork imports.

President Tsai Ing-wen announced in August that the government would, from 1 January , allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine, an additive that enhances leanness but is banned in the European Union and China. –

Sydney – Australia will move to protect its multibillion-dollar wine industry from punitive new Chinese tariffs, its agriculture minister said yesterday, raising the threat of World Trade Organisation countermeasures.

“The government will vigorously defend the industry,” David Littleproud said, vowing to appeal a ruling announced by Beijing yesterday. Importers will have to pay deposits of 107.1% to 212.1%, in response to “substantive harm” China said was caused by ‘mispriced’ Australian products. –