. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/TPKM/65 
31 October 2005 
 (05-5045) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF 
TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Finance  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Alcohol products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Regions or countries producing alcohol products.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Regulations Governing 
the Inspection of Imported Alcohol (5 pages in Chinese, English translation available).  
6. Description of content:   
Both domestic and imported alcohol products ar e subject to inspection.  Alcohol products 
that meet national health standards are perm itted to be imported.  Alcohol products are 
inspected according to the alcohol hygiene st andards published by the relevant health 
authority.  The current hygiene standards of alcohol products are as follows: 
Methanol content:  
For grape wine: below 3000 mg/L (100% ethyl alcohol). For other alcohol products: below 1000 mg/L (100% ethyl alcohol). 
Lead content:  
Below 0.3mg/L. 
Sulfur dioxide residue limits: 
For alcohol products made from fruits: below 0.25g/kg For beer or alcohol products made from cereal: below 0.03g/kg 
The above hygiene standards will be amended.  Please see the additional document (Draft of 
the Amended Hygiene Standards for Alcohol products) sent with this document. 
The inspection of imported alcohol is conducte d by means of lot-to-lot inspection, lot-
sampling inspection, or release after documentary  examination.  Please see the full text of 
the Regulations Governing the Inspection of Imported Alcohol.  
7. Objective and rationale: [ X ] food safety,  [   ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other damage from pests   G/SPS/N/TPKM/65 
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 8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Regulations 
Governing the Inspection of Imported Alcohol (5 pages in Chinese, English translation 
available).  Draft of the Amended Hygiene St andards for Alcohol products (2 pages in 
Chinese, English translation available).   
10. Proposed date of adoption:  1 January 2006 (For Regulations Governing the Inspection of 
Imported Alcohol)  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2006 (For Regulations Governing the 
Inspection of Imported Alcohol)  
12. Final date for comments:  By the end of 2005.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Ministry of Finance 
3F, 2 Ai Kuo West Road, Taipei, 100, Taiwan Telephone:  (886-2) 2322-8000 ext.7443 Fax:  (886-2) 2357-8380 E-mail:  mavis@mail.nta.gov.tw
 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National noti fication authority, [ X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Bureau of Animal and Plant He alth Inspection and Quarantine 
9F, 51 Chung Ching S. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei 100 Taiwan Tel:  +886 2 2343 1401 Fax:  +886 2 2343 1400 E-mail:  wtosps@mail.baphiq.gov.tw