Browse Data and Analysis

In September 2024, a National Assembly member submitted a draft revision of the Act on Transboundary Movements of Living Modified Organisms, commonly referred to as the LMO Act.

Since the previous report, Taiwan has granted new approvals for imports of genetically engineered (GE) products for processing, food, and feed use. Taiwan has never permitted domestic production of GE crops or animals. In 2023, Taiwan imported close to $930 million of U.S. crops including soybeans, corn, and cotton, accounting for 25 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the island.

Korea has not finalized the May 2021 revisions of its Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act, which defines Korea’s regulatory policies for products developed through innovative technologies including genome editing.

Since the previous report, Taiwan has granted new approvals for imports of genetically engineered (GE) products for processing, food, and feed use. Taiwan has never permitted domestic production of GE crops or animals.

Since the previous report, Taiwan has granted new approvals for imports of genetically engineered (GE) products for processing, food, and feed use. Taiwan has never permitted domestic production of GE crops or animals. In 2021, Taiwan imported close to $1.2 billion of U.S. GE crops including soybeans, corn, and cotton, accounting for 30 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the island.

Korea is in the process of drafting a proposal to revise its existing Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act to cover products of innovative biotechnologies, including genome edited products.

Since the previous report, Taiwan has granted approval for imports of genetically engineered (GE) products for processing, food, and feed use.

In April 2019, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) announced the creation of its Center to Commercialize New Breeding Technologies.

Taiwan uses a science-based process for evaluating and granting approval for imports of genetically engineered (GE) products for processing, food, and feed use.

This report provides minimal updates compared to the previous year’s report.

After 10 years under the Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act, Korea plans to improve and revise the LMO Act to address stakeholders’ concerns.

Taiwan imported over a billion dollars of U.S. genetically engineered (GE) crops in 2017, accounting for over a third of total U.S. agricultural exports to the island.