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Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) will implement new certification requirements for imported meat products, effective October 1, 2022. The current U.S. certificates for meat products will continue to be used, with the extra information required to be inserted in specific sections.

Covid-19 has accelerated digitalization and propelled emergence of new trends in Taiwan – rapidly growing cloud kitchens, popularizing at-home cooking, and expanding retail presence of frozen and prepared meals.

The resumption of travel amid a waning COVID-19 pandemic is breathing much-needed fresh air into the Caribbean Hotel Restaurant Institutional (HRI) food service sector. Yet in 2021 sector sales still fell short of pre-pandemic levels.

On September 21, 2022, Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued administrative decree number 1895 for the year 2022 adopting a regionalization model to the county level for U.S. outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI). The decree lifted a previous ban on all non-heat treated poultry meat (fresh, chilled, frozen, and processed), poultry products and table eggs from 24 U.S. states. The decree also includes changes for other trade partners. An unofficial translation for the decree is included in this report.

This report gives an overview of the food service – hotel, restaurant, and institutional sectors in Italy and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects. In 2021, Italy’s consumer food service value sales registered an increase of 23 percent compared to 2020 in spite of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian consumer foodservice industry is valued at A$54 (US$41) billion. Australia’s commercial foodservice sector is a competitive market and with an ageing population, the institutional foodservice sector (aged care, hospitals, etc.) continues to grow. Most industry operators in the hotel and resort sector derive a significant portion of revenue from the sale of meals and beverages prepared at onsite restaurants.

This report provides updated information on the status of Turkey’s export ban on certain agricultural exports since the beginning of 2022. The government's intent behind the ban is to stabilize the supplies of specific products to help alleviate rising food inflation. The export ban on some products, like olive oil and most vegetable oils, have been lifted. However, a ban remains in effect for select staples, such as red meat, some pulses, and sunflower oil.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries invites public comments on the proposed revision of the Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS) for soybean milk products. Comments must be submitted in Japanese by October 8, 2022.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a major effect on the Hotel, Restaurant, Institutional (HRI) sector in New Zealand. This is especially true of the tourism and hospitality sectors which have been severely hit by the closed international borders.

On Sept 13, 2022, the head of the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services division confirmed Tunisia will accept sanitary certificates for US-origin bovine, caprine, and ovine embryos, as well as US-origin caprine and ovine semen. Effective immediately, the Tunisian market is open to these five products.

Food availability in Venezuela has improved since reaching an all-time low in 2019 as the result of informal dollarization of the economy, lower inflation, increased private sector activity, and a growth in domestic production and imports.

On September 19, 2022, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) published 2022 Special Announcement Number 88 amending the customs clearance declaration requirements for importers or consignees of non-cold chain products.