CHICKEN EXPORTS TO TAIWAN. Taiwan will soon open its market to processed chicken from Panama in accordance with the two countries' efforts to expand bilateral trade and investment under a free trade agreement that took effect in January, reports The Taipei Times (June 28, 2004), citing sources
in Panama. Group Melo will soon be allowed to export its processed chicken to Taiwan after it gains green light from the Taiwanese authorities, and it would mark the first time that Panama will ship its chicken-related products to the Taiwanese market, the report said, adding that Taipei will first send quarantine personnel to inspect the chicken-raising farms prior to the shipments. Group Melo estimates it could export about US$2 million of processed chicken to Taiwan per year.