Belize to Begin Shrimp Exports to Taiwan

On July 30th, the Government of Belize announced that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has officially approved shrimp exportation from Belize. The confirmation came during a visit to Taiwan by a Belizean delegation attending the Second Meeting of the Administrative Commission under the Belize–Taiwan Economic Cooperation Agreement. This milestone follows over two years of technical collaboration and regulatory engagement between the two countries.
The process began in 2022 by submitting Taiwan’s Equivalence Evaluation Questionnaire, followed by multiple rounds of documentation, verification, and an in-country inspection. The inspection occurred in October 2024, during a visit by Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Lin Chia-lung. While in Belize, Dr. Lin met with his counterpart, the Honorable Francis Fonseca, to discuss the proposal further. The Taiwanese delegation included officials from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, who conducted comprehensive inspections at various shrimp farms nationwide.
Natalie Gibson, Acting Director for Food Safety at the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, worked closely with the Taiwanese team throughout the process. During the 2024 visit, she noted the local industry’s interest in the Taiwanese market. “We have been exporting lobster, historically, to Taiwan, so this is an effort to expand the scope of products that we can export,” she told the media.
Gibson explained that securing the agreement involved sharing detailed information and submitting documentation for Taiwan’s evaluation. “Our regulations, what authority we have, what are our standards for different fisheries products, the processing, and food safety standards,” she said.
To date, 12 Belizean aquaculture facilities have been approved for export following a comprehensive risk assessment by the Taiwanese government. Belize now has access to a high-value market that imported an average of over US$349 million in shrimp annually between 2020 and 2024. Despite global and regional challenges, Belize’s shrimp industry has remained resilient, maintaining consistent production and exports. Producers are expected to scale up operations, attract renewed investment, and drive market-driven growth with access to this new market.